Perioperative Mortality Following Bariatric Surgery in Australia

Bariatric surgery is the most effective method of sustainable weight loss for the treatment of morbid obesity. Low mortality associated with these procedures has been reported internationally; however, Australian outcomes are yet to be published. Despite its efficacy, limited access to bariatric surgery exists in Australian public hospitals. This retrospective data analysis was conducted for two reasons. Firstly, to determine the perioperative mortality rate (POMR) associated with bariatric procedures in Australia, and secondly, to compare public and private hospital bariatric surgery admission demographics and outcomes.

A retrospective review of de-identified patient data from the National Hospital Morbidity Database, held by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), was conducted using codes relating to bariatric procedures. POMR calculations were established using AIHW admission data from 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2013.

From 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2013, 113,929 patient admissions occurred for patients undergoing a bariatric procedure. Thirty-nine deaths occurred nationally, with an overall average POMR of 0.03%. A higher POMR was associated with public admissions and secondary procedures. A higher proportion of secondary procedures were performed in public hospitals. Primary bariatric procedure incidence increased throughout the study period while secondary bariatric procedure incidence decreased.

This study demonstrates the Australian bariatric procedure POMR to be substantially lower than internationally reported figures. Public hospitals were shown to perform far fewer bariatric procedures at a higher POMR than private hospitals. Public hospitals performed a higher proportion of secondary revision procedures.