The number of laparoscopic bariatric procedures increased from 2003-2008, partly due to wider use of laparoscopic techniques and patients' greater acceptance, according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
Based on data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the number of bariatric operations peaked in 2004 at 135,985 cases, or 63.9 procedures per 100,000 adults.
Laparoscopic procedures rose from 20 percent of bariatric operations in 2003 to more than 90 percent in 2008, while inpatient mortality for these procedures decreased from 0.21 percent to 0.10 percent.
Read the Journal of the American College of Surgeons study on growth of laparoscopic bariatric procedures.
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