Conversion Rates From Initial Consultation to Bariatric Surgery: A Single-Center Community Practice Experience

Area of Science:

• Bariatric Surgery Outcomes
• Healthcare Access and Patient Pathways
• Surgical Accreditation Processes

Background:

• Accreditation for bariatric surgery requires a preoperative pathway for all patients.
• Patient attrition before surgery is common, with varying rates across practices.
• Understanding this attrition is crucial for optimizing patient care and surgical center efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the percentage of patients who successfully undergo bariatric surgery after initial evaluation at a community practice.
• To identify factors influencing patient dropout rates within the preoperative pathway.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of patients evaluated for bariatric surgery over 21 months.
• Tracking patients from initial clinic visit through to surgery completion or dropout.
• Inclusion criteria required a minimum 6-month follow-up period.

Main Results:

• Out of 479 evaluated patients, only 43% proceeded to surgery.
• The majority of patients who did not have surgery dropped out after their first visit.
• Attrition rates significantly increased with wait times of 6 months or longer (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• There is a lack of national benchmarks for bariatric surgery preoperative pathway completion rates.
• This community practice demonstrated a 43% conversion rate from evaluation to surgery.
• Mandated wait times appear to act as barriers, increasing patient attrition and should be reconsidered.