Surgical treatment of morbid obesity

Ikonen T, Anttila H, Gylling H, Isojarvi J, Koivukangas V, Kumpulainen T, Mustajoki P, Maklin S, Saarni S, Saarni S, Sintonen H, Victorzon M, Malmivaara A
Record ID 32010001188
Finnish
Original Title: Sairaalloisen lihavuuden leikkaushoito
Authors' objectives:

The objective of the report was to conduct a multidisciplinary assessment of the surgical treatment of morbid obesity among adults. In accordance with the HTA Core Model developed in the EUnetHTA project (European network for Health Technology Assessment), the assessment was considered through nine perspectives, or domains: health problem and current use of technology; description and technical characteristics of technology; safety; clinical effectiveness; costs and economic evaluation; ethical analysis; organisational aspects; social aspects; and legislative aspects. The comparison was between surgical treatments and conservative treatments – not between different operative techniques.

Authors' recommendations: The multi-perspective assessment of bariatric surgery produced a set of intercomplementary data. The results indicate that surgical treatment of patients who suffer from severe or morbid obesity gives significant health benefits to patients and reduces the costs to the health care system. However, surgical operations also involve a risk of mortality and other complications. Weight-loss operations are still quite rare in Finland, compared with other industrial countries, and the regional availability of bariatric services is quite uneven. Also, surgical treatment is a viable option for only a very limited number of obese people. Consequently, decisionmakers will have to grapple with the challenge of drafting uniform criteria for access to treatment and an ethically sustainable national strategy for the treatment of obesity.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2009
URL for published report: http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe201205085314
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: Finland
MeSH Terms
  • Obesity, Morbid
  • Weight Loss
Keywords
  • bariatric surgery
  • treatment outcome
  • quality of life
  • legislation
  • medical ethics
  • health policy
Contact
Organisation Name: Finnish Coordinating Center for Health Technology Assessment
Contact Address: Finnish Office for Health Care Technology Assessment (Finohta)
Contact Name: .
Contact Email: fincchta@ppshp.fi
Copyright: Finnish Office for Health Care Technology Assessment (FinOHTA)
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.