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Laparoscopic bariatric surgery can be performed safely in secondary health care centres with a dedicated service corridor to an affiliated tertiary health care centre.

BACKGROUND
Canada needs to increase capacity for bariatric surgery to reduce the wait for this cost-effective, life-saving surgery. The aim of this study was to test whether laparoscopic bariatric surgery, including gastric bypass, can be delivered safely in secondary health care centres (SHCCs).


METHODS
In this prospective cohort study, patients received bariatric surgery at an SHCC that had no intensive care unit but had a dedicated operating room and ward teams and a patient-monitoring environment. Patients with life-threatening complications were transferred to an affiliated tertiary health care centre (THCC) via a dedicated "service corridor."


RESULTS
In all, 830 patients were treated: 676 at the SHCC and 154 at the THCC. Gastric bypass was performed in 85.4%, gastric band in 11.1% and gastric sleeve in 3.5%. The body mass index (BMI) was significantly higher in the THCC than the SHCC group (mean 54.4 [standard deviation (SD) 9.7] v. 47.5 [SD 7.4]). Obesity-associated diseases were similar between the groups. Major complications occurred in 2.6% of SHCC patients and 1.7% of THCC patients. Seven patients (1%) required direct transfer to the THCC, and all were treated successfully. There were 2 deaths (1.3%) in the THCC and none in the SHCC groups (combined mortality 0.2%). Weight loss was equivalent up to the fourth year of the study.


CONCLUSION
With proper patient selection, a dedicated health care team and a service corridor to an affiliated THCC, laparoscopic bariatric surgery, including gastric bypass can be performed safely in SHCCs. Further study is needed to determine whether the model can be applied across Canada.