These results are consistent with the results from another long-term study of bariatric surgery, the Swedish Obese Subjects study, or SOS. In this project, approximately 2,000 Swedes received bariatric surgery. They were matched to another 2,000 obese people who did not receive surgery and served as controls.
After two decades, the people who had undergone surgery had much greater sustained weight loss: 18 percent compared to 1 percent. The Swedish investigators found that post-surgical complications led to more health care costs for the surgical group during the first six years. Following that time, health care costs for the surgical group dropped because they needed fewer medications for asthma, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
