Bariatric surgery. Analysis of hospital admissions for obesity in the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS) in Sao Paulo.

PURPOSE To characterize the comorbidities associated with hospitalizations for obesity and the relationship of these co-morbidities with bariatric surgery and hospitalization costs during the period between 2000 and 2010 in Sao Paulo that were financed by the Brazilian Public Health System (SUS). METHODS We used data from the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (SIH-SUS) for selected individuals hospitalized for obesity according to International Classification of Diseases (ICD10). RESULTS The total cost of hospitalizations was approximately two million dollars, with 67% of the total cost for bariatric and reconstructive surgery. Women accounted for 87% of hospitalizations, and 77% of subjects were aged between 30 and 59 years; the main comorbidity found was hypertension, and the procedures performed were bariatric surgery and reconstructive surgery (post-bariatric surgery). CONCLUSION Obesity is a major public health problem that affects people of productive age, causing high costs of hospitalization, which reinforces the requirement for preventive interventions beginning from childhood.