(July 30, 2009 - Insidermedicine) The overall risks associated with having bariatric surgery, while low, are found to vary considerably based on patient characteristics, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Here is some information about obesity and bariatric surgery:

• Obesity is a leading cause of death worldwide. It is associated with heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

• Obesity is best controlled through dieting and physical activity.

• Bariatric surgery is generally considered a last resort to combat obesity, only after attempts at lifestyle modification have failed.

Researchers followed nearly 5,000 first-time bariatric surgery patients at 10 clinical sites across the U.S. They compared outcomes to intial patient characteristics and to what form of bariatric surgery was performed.

It was found that there was a complex interplay of factors associated with adverse outcomes. The factors with the most predictive significance were extreme body mass index (BMI), history of venous thromboembolism and the degree of invasiveness of the procedure.

Today’s research highlights how varied the factors underlying short-term risks are among different individuals, and that a careful assessment of these risk factors needs to be made in determining surgery candidacy.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Kelly Schweitzer.