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.
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Champion, J.K., Williams, M. Economic Impact of Bariatrics on a General Surgery Practice. OBES SURG 16, 113–118 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1381/096089206775565186
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1381/096089206775565186