Weight-loss surgeries surging in popularity

The number of Americans having weight-loss surgery more than quadrupled between 1998 and 2002 from 13,386 to 71,733, according to a study published in the July 12 issue of Health Affairs. The study, conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, noted the increase was partially driven by a 900 percent increase in patients between the ages of 55 and 64 opting for surgery.

Hospital costs over the same period for patients undergoing weight-loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, increased by more than six times, from $157 million a year to $948 million a year, and the average cost per surgery increased by roughly 13 percent, from $11,705 to $13,215.

According to the study's authors, approximately 395,000 Americans between 65 and 69 years old will be medically eligible for the surgery this year, and this number could increase by up to 20 percent in 2010. Future demand for bariatric surgery could rise even further as safety concerns diminish.