Gastric Bypass: It Pays to Keep Military Hospitals Busy

Abstract

This study was performed to review the surgical treatment of obesity at a community military hospital and compare costs to TRICARE reimbursement rates (the cost of sending a patient to a civilian surgeon for obesity surgery). The preoperative, operative, and postoperative phases are described in detail. The expenses of five consecutive patients were calculated and averaged. Each operation at our hospital cost 1,710 dollars, whereas the TRICARE cost was at least 6,950 dollars. A saving of 5,240 dollars per operation was achieved in our military hospital. These five patients subjectively graded their outcomes as very good to excellent at a mean of 7.9 months from surgery. These patients lost an average of 70% of their excess body weight. All patients with weight-related comorbidities reported resolution of at least one problem.