Type 2 Diabetes Remission After Bariatric Surgery and Its Impact on Healthcare Costs

Abstract

Purpose: Bariatric surgery is the most effective and durable treatment of obesity and can put type 2 diabetes (T2D) into remission. We aimed to examine remission rates after bariatric surgery and the impacts of post-surgical healthcare costs. Materials and Methods: Obese adults with T2D were identified in Merative™ (US employer–based retrospective claims database). Individuals who had bariatric surgery were matched 1:1 with those who did not with baseline demographic and health characteristics. Rates of remission and total healthcare costs were compared at 6–12 and 6–36 months after the index date. Results: Remission rates varied substantially by baseline T2D complexity; differences in rates at 1 year ranged from 41% for those with high-complexity T2D to 66% for those with low- to mid-complexity T2D. At 3 years, those who had bariatric surgery had 56% higher remission rates than those who did not have bariatric surgery, with differences of 73%, 59%, and 35% for those with low-, mid-, and high-complexity T2D at baseline. Healthcare costs were $3401 and $20,378 lower among those who had bariatric surgery in the 6 to 12 months and 6 to 36 months after the index date, respectively, than their matched controls. The biggest cost differences were seen among those with high-complexity T2D; those who had bariatric surgery had $26,879 lower healthcare costs in the 6 to 36 months after the index date than those who did not. Conclusion: Individuals with T2D undergoing bariatric surgery have substantially higher rates of T2D remission and lower healthcare costs. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]