Bariatric Surgery Statistics

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 40 percent of American adults have some form of obesity. The obesity rate in American child is somewhere around 18.5 percent. With almost 4 in 10 members of the adult population well over their ideal BMI, that means that these individuals are at a much higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other conditions linked to excessive body weight.

These numbers help explain why so many people contact our Tijuana, Mexico practice about different types of bariatric surgery treatments. We’d like to go over some compelling obesity statistics, which will help you understand why more and more people are considering bariatric surgery.

Number of Bariatric Procedures by Year

Given the amount of people in the United States who are obese, there has been a rise in the number of people who undergo bariatric surgery,

Figures from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) estimate that there were 216,000 total bariatric procedures performed in the US in 2016. That’s part of a study upward trend over the last eight years; there were 196,000 bariatric procedures in 2015, 193,000 in 2014, 179,000 in 2013, 173,000 in 2012, and 158,000 in 2011.

Breakdown of Bariatric Surgery by Type

Using the numbers from the ASMBS, we do note that certain bariatric procedures tend to be more popular than others. Here is a percentage breakdown of the three most popular bariatric procedures in 2016:

  • Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric Sleeve) - 59.4 percent
  • Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass - 17.8 percent
  • Gastric Banding - 0.9 percent

Trends in Bariatric Surgery Types Over the Years

Looking at the ASMBS numbers from 2011 to 2019, the sleeve gastrectomy has increased immensely in popularity over time, while both gastric bypass and gastric banding have become less common during that same period of time.

In 2011, 36.7% of procedures were gastric bypass, 35.4% involved the adjustable gastric band, and 17.8% were gastric sleeve. Another trend to note is the increase in bariatric revision surgery during this period. In 2011, revision surgeries accounted for only 6% of all bariatric procedures, while in 2019, they accounted for 16.7%. At the same time, adjustable gastric band procedures have decreased dramatically to under 1% in 2019.

These trends may have something to do with the simplicity and effectiveness of the gastric sleeve technique, and how it can be modified into more advanced bariatric procedures if needed by patients.

While the adjustable gastric band was often the bariatric surgery of choice for many obese patients toward the lower end of the BMI scale, many patients found the fills necessary to keep losing weight inconvenient and expensive.

Changing to another type of bariatric procedure from gastric banding accounts for a significant portion of revision surgeries.

Number of Bariatric Procedures by Year

Given the number of people in the United States who are obese, there has been a rise in the number of patients who undergo bariatric surgery,

Figures from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) estimate that there were 256,000 total bariatric procedures performed in the US in 2019. That’s part of a steady upward trend. There were an estimated 252,000 bariatric procedures in 2018, 228,000 in 2017, 216, 00 in 2016,196,000 in 2015, 193,000 in 2014, 179,000 in 2013, 173,000 in 2012, and 158,000 in 2011.

Breakdown of Bariatric Surgery by Type

Using the numbers from the ASMBS, we do note that certain bariatric procedures tend to be more popular than others. Here is a percentage breakdown of the three bariatric surgery procedures in 2019:

  • Duodenal Switch - Loss of around 70 percent of excess body weight
  • Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass - Loss of around 60 percent of excess body weight
  • Gastric Banding - Loss of around 50 percent of excess body weight
  • Gastric Sleeve - Loss of around 50 percent of excess body weight

Statistics on Bariatric Surgery Health Benefits

U.S. News and World Report noted a number of important health benefits associated with bariatric surgery:

  • 90 percent of surgical weight loss patients who had diabetes reported major improvements of the condition or complete resolution of diabetes
  • 85 percent of surgical weight loss patients experienced less severe sleep apnea or no sleep apnea at all
  • 60 percent of surgical weight loss patients experienced reduced cholesterol
  • 50 percent of surgical weight loss patients experienced reduced blood pressure

On average, healthcare costs for patients with morbid obesity are reduced by 29% within five years following metabolic and bariatric surgery, which is related to a decrease or full elimination of obesity-related health conditions. Given these benefits, it’s no surprise that the number of bariatric surgeries has continued to trend upward.

Contact Tijuana Bariatric Center

If you're tired of carrying excess weight around, would like to look and feel better and wonder if you are an ideal candidate for treatment, be sure to contact our experienced weight loss center by calling 800-970-0577 for a virtual consultation. We will detail how you can lose weight through one of the procedures we offer and improve your quality of life. It's time to regain control of your life and health.


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