Hospital admission after gastric bypass: a nationwide cohort study with up to 6 years follow-up

Abstract

BackgroundSeveral studies have addressed short-term admission rates after bariatric surgery. However, studies on long-term admission rates are few and population based studies are even scarcer. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess short- and long-term admission rates for gastrointestinal surgery after gastric bypass in Sweden compared with admission rates in the general population. SettingSwedish healthcare system. MethodsThe surgery cohort consisted of adults with body mass index≥35 identified in the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (n = 28,331; mean age 41 years; 76% women; Roux-en-Y gastric bypass performed 2007–2012). For each individual, up to 10 comparators from the general population were matched on birth year, sex, and place of residence (n = 274,513). The primary outcome was inpatient admissions due to gastrointestinal surgery retrieved from the National Patient Register through December 31, 2014. Conditional hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using Cox regression. ResultsAll-cause admission rates were 6.5%, 21.4%, and 65.9% during 30 days, 1 year, and 6 years after surgery, respectively. The corresponding rates for gastrointestinal surgery were 1.8%, 6.8%, and 24.4%. Compared with that of the general population, there was an increased risk of all-cause hospital admission at 1 year (HR 2.6 [2.5–2.6]) and 6 years (HR 2.7 [2.6–2.7]). The risk of hospital admission for any gastrointestinal surgical procedure was greatly increased throughout the study period (HR 8.6 [8.4–8.9]). Female sex, psychiatric disease, and low education were risk factors. ConclusionWe found a significant risk of admission to hospital over>6 years after gastric bypass surgery.