Medical tourism in bariatric surgery

Birch, Daniel W.; Vu, Lan; Karmali, Shahzeer; Stoklossa, Carlene Johnson; Sharma, Arya M.

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2010.01.002

« Previous Next »The American Journal of Surgery
Volume 199, Issue 5 , Pages 604-608, May 2010

Medical tourism in bariatric surgery

Daniel W. Birch, M.D.
- Center for the Advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Royal Alexandra Hospital, 10240 Kingsway, Edmonton, Alberta, T5H 3V9 Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Corresponding author: Tel.: +1-780-735-4786; fax: +1-780-735-4771
Lan Vu, M.D.
- Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
Shahzeer Karmali, M.D.
- Center for the Advancement of Minimally Invasive Surgery, Royal Alexandra Hospital, 10240 Kingsway, Edmonton, Alberta, T5H 3V9 Canada
- Department of Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Carlene Johnson Stoklossa, R.D.
- Weight Wise Program, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada
Arya M. Sharma, M.D.
- Weight Wise Program, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada

Received 7 November 2009; received in revised form 12 January 2010 published online 26 March 2010.

Abstract

Background

The number of Canadians who self-refer for bariatric surgery outside of Canada or to private clinics within Canada remains undefined. The outcomes from this questionable practice have not been evaluated systematically to date.

Methods

We completed a chart review of known cases referred to our center for complications related to medical tourism and bariatric surgery.

Results

We present a series of patients who have experienced complications because of medical tourism for bariatric surgery and required urgent surgical management at a tertiary care center within Canada. Complications have resulted from 3 commonly used procedures: adjustable gastric banding, gastric sleeve resection, and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Conclusions

Because of this review, we propose that a medical tourism approach to the surgical management of obesity—a chronic disease—is inappropriate and raises clear ethical and moral issues.

Keywords: Obesity, Bariatric surgery, Medical tourism, Surgical complications