Health economic aspects of bariatric surgery : A literature review

Bakgrund: Fetma är ett folkhälsoproblem som har ökat dramatiskt de senaste två decennierna. För att behandla extrem fetma har magsäcksoperationer blivit en allt mer vanlig metod. De hälsoekonomiska aspekterna av operation har ännu inte studerats i Sverige. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att belysa hälsoekonomiska aspekter av magsäcksoperationer som intervention mot fetma. Metod: Metoden var en litteraturstudie. Elva vetenskapliga studier valdes ut, analyserades och sammanställdes utifrån hälsoekonomiska aspekter. Resultat: Magsäcksoperationer var kostnadseffektiva som intervention mot fetma i jämförelse med ingen intervention, traditionell intervention och medicinsk behandling. Studiernas resultat varierade i tid till break even och beräkning av inkrementell kostnadskvot. Troliga anledningar till dessa skillnader var studiernas olika ursprungsländer och tidsperspektiv. Slutsats: Ur ett hälsoekonomiskt perspektiv rekommenderas operationer som intervention mot fetma. Dock bör etiska aspekter beaktas när samhällets begränsade ekonomiska resurser ska fördelas mellan olika interventioner.Background: Obesity has increased dramatically in the last 20 years and has become a major public health issue. Bariatric surgery has become a more commonly used method for treating morbid obesity. The health economic aspects of bariatric surgery have not yet been studied in Sweden. Aim: The study highlights the health economic aspects of bariatric surgery as an intervention to treat obesity. Method: The method used was a literature review. Eleven scientific studies were selected, analyzed and compiled using a health economic perspective. Results: Bariatric surgery was a cost effective intervention for treating obesity, compared with no interventions, traditional interventions and medical treatment. The results of the studies vary in time to break even and incremental cost ratio. The studies different countries of origin and time perspectives are possible reasons for these differences. Conclusion: From a health economic perspective bariatric surgery was recommended as an intervention for treating obesity. However, ethical issues should be considered when the society's limited financial resources are distributed between different interventions