Racial disparities in complications and mortality after bariatric surgery: A systematic review

Studies have shown racial discrepancies in the rates of postoperative adverse events following bariatric surgery (BS). We aim to systematically review the literature examining racial disparities in postoperative adverse events.

PubMed, Embase, and SCOPUS databases were searched for studies that reported race, postoperative adverse events and/or length of stay.

Thirty-five studies were included. Most compared Black and White patients using standardized databases. Racial/ethnic terminology varied. The majority found increased 30-day mortality and morbidity and length of stay in Black relative to White patients. Differences between White and Hipanic patients were mostly non-significant in these outcomes.

Black patients may experience higher rates of adverse events than White patients within 30 days following bariatric surgery. Given the limitations in the large multicenter databases, explanations for this disparity were limited. Future research would benefit from longer-term studies that include more races and ethnicities and consider socioeconomic factors.