Health Expenditures Decline After Bariatric Surgery for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Main finding · Total expenditures per 6-month intervalResult — go to the resultDifference $566 lower per 6-month interval 95% CI -$807, -$316Authors' conclusion
Patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing bariatric surgery have significantly lower total postsurgical expenditures than matched control patients, primarily because of substantial reductions in pharmacy expenditures. The long-term cost savings associated with bariatric surgery are likely to increase further, given the rapidly escalating costs of diabetes pharmacotherapy.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with obesity and T2D; 73% female, average BMI 44 kg/m², mean age 50 years, 32% on insulinmatched cohort
- Participants
- 6,690 vs 19,122
- Exposure
- Bariatric surgery vs matched nonsurgical patients
- Surgicaln = 6,690
- Nonsurgicaln = 19,122reference
- Outcome
- Total, outpatient, inpatient and medication expenditures, estimated in 6-month intervals
- Follow-up
- 3 years presurgery and 5.5 years postsurgery
Methodological detailsmatched, generalized estimating equations
- Matched
- Generalized estimating equations
Main finding
Total expenditures per 6-month interval · up to 5.5 years postsurgery
Difference
$566 lower per 6-month interval
95% CI -$807, -$316
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Medication expenditures, surgical patients · 6 months presurgery to 5.5 years postsurgery
- Drop in medication expenditures
- 56%
- 6 months presurgery
- $2,204
- Per 6-month interval at 5.5 years postsurgery
- $969
- Expenditure differences largely attributable to this drop
Safety
| Outcome | Surgical | Nonsurgical |
|---|---|---|
| Probability of inpatient admission per 6-month interval · throughout the postsurgical period | 4.0-6.5% | 2.4-3.1% |
Original publication
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →