New research presented at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery’s annual meeting reveals persistent racial disparities in post-operative outcomes for weight-loss surgery. Black patients were found to experience significantly more minor complications than white patients following procedures like sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass.
Analyzing data from over 1.1 million patients between 2016 and 2023, researchers from Yale University found that Black patients consistently had higher rates of Clavien-Dindo category 1 complications. In 2016, the rate was 10.2% for Black patients compared to 7.6% for white patients. By 2023, the gap remained, with rates at 15.0% and 12.1%, respectively.
Emergency department visits also rose for both groups, but remained higher for Black patients—11.0% in 2023 versus 8.3% for white patients. Readmission rates and unplanned interventions followed a similar pattern, with Black patients experiencing higher rates across all years studied.
“We were surprised the minor complication rate increased year after year and that racial disparities persisted,” said Dr. Safraz Hamid, the study’s lead author. He emphasized the need for further investigation into the causes behind these trends and how they might be reversed.
While major complications did not show consistent racial differences, the findings raise concerns about equity in surgical care and recovery. The study underscores the importance of addressing systemic factors that may contribute to unequal outcomes in bariatric surgery.
See: “Minor Complications Up for Black Patients After Weight-Loss Surgery” (June 25, 2025)