Background

Utilization of bariatric surgery in the U.S. among Black patients relative to White patients across the BMI spectrum is not known.

Methods

MBS Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) data were used to characterize patient demographics and bariatric surgery utilization between 2015 to 2021. Standardized data science approaches combined all available MBS records (>1.3 million) for analysis over time.

Results

MBS utilization by Black patients increased from 16.7% (n=27,608) in 2015 to 20.5% (n=43,295) in 2021, with utilization by White patients trending lower during this same time (74.9% to 64.6%). Percent of MBS procedures on Black patients steadily increased every year, including 2020, despite overall case numbers decreasing during COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Black patients accounted for an increased percentage of MBS procedures for increasingly severe obesity. Specifically, Black patients accounted for only 14% of MBS for patients with BMI<40kg/m2, with this increasing to 31.6% for those with BMI≥70kg/m2.

Conclusions

Bariatric surgery utilization by Black patients as a percentage of all bariatric operations from 2015 to 2021 has steadily increased particularly for those with extreme obesity. Further research is required to determine strategies to address barriers to access to bariatric surgery.