Bariatric surgery is currently a rapidly growing subsection of general surgery, with exponential expansion over the past decade.
Many residency programs lacked sufficient experience in bariatrics, necessitating established surgeons to consider re-training
and re-vamping of their practice to enter the field. The addition of bariatric surgery to a general surgery practice can present
economic consequences, which are both positive and negative. Positive consequences include a potential new revenue source
with a large population base. Negative consequences include increased employees, required paper-work and office resources,
increased malpractice premiums, difficulties with appropriate re-imbursement, and limitations on access to appointment time
for non-bariatric cases. This paper reviews the potential economic impact of bariatric surgery on a general surgery practice
and possible alternatives to manage these efficiently.
MEDICAL ECONOMICS - MORBID OBESITY - BARIATRIC SURGERY - HEALTH INSURANCE - MEDICAL PRACTICE MANAGEMENT