The study was based on insurance claims from 2,522 people who had weight-loss surgeries done in 2001 and 2002.

    "We found that the complication rate in the hospital was 22 percent, but it went up to 40 percent over the next six months," said lead author William Encinosa, a senior economist at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which sponsored the study.

    The most common complications included vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal hernias, infections, pneumonia and respiratory failure, as well as the leaking of gastric juices caused by imperfect surgical connections between the stomach and the intestines.

    In a procedure known as bariatric surgery, doctors reduce the number of calories that a person can consume and absorb. One of the more common techniques restricts the size of the stomach and the length of the intestine, where nutrients are absorbed.

    Encinosa noted that even with a high complication rate, the surgery is cost-effective because losing weight reduces the risk of expensive diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. "The long-run cost benefits outweigh these complications," he said.

    However, one other expert said that the report is based on old data and in fact, the procedure has improved, so patients are less likely to suffer complications.

    Harvey Sugerman, former president of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, said, "The data used in the study is several years old, and now the vast majority of patients undergo the laparoscopic procedure, which reduces the rate of complications."  Enditem

    (Agencies)