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. 2025 Jun 18:e70031.
doi: 10.1111/cob.70031. Online ahead of print.

Mortality Related to Bariatric Surgery (MORSE Study): A Retrospective, International Collaborative Audit

Vignesh Balasubaramaniam  1 , Geoffrey Yuet Mun Wong  2 , Alessandro Martinino  3 , Manel Riera  4 , Mohamed Abouelazayem  5 , Juan Pablo Scarano Pereira  6 , Amira Said  7 , Yitka Graham  8   9   10   11 , Rajesh Kumar Jain  4 , Helen Imseeh  12 , Osama Aljaiuossi  12 , Mustafa Ahmad Abu Jayyab  13 , Said N A Alyacoubi  13 , Kamal Mahawar  14 , Rishi Singhal  15 ; MORSE Study Collaborative Group
Collaborators, Affiliations

Mortality Related to Bariatric Surgery (MORSE Study): A Retrospective, International Collaborative Audit

Vignesh Balasubaramaniam et al. Clin Obes. .

Abstract

Bariatric surgery is associated with low but definite early and late mortality. This study aims to further understand early (≤ 90 days) and delayed (> 90 days) mortality related to bariatric surgery. This is a retrospective collaborative audit of patients who had undergone bariatric surgery and developed complications that ultimately led to death. Individuals who were 18 years or older and had undergone bariatric surgery (primary, revisional, and endoscopic procedures) and subsequently died within 90 days or after 90 days following the surgery between 1 January 2022, and 31 December 2022. A descriptive analysis was conducted. About 30 centres from 21 countries submitted data on 82 patients where patient death was deemed to be related to bariatric surgery. Mortality within 90 days post-surgery was observed in 58 individuals (70.7%), while 24 patients (29.3%) died after this period. Causes of mortality after SG include GI leak, PE, respiratory infection, and malnutrition. Causes of mortality after RYGB include GI leak, coronary heart disease, and bleeding. Reported common causes of early mortality in this study were gastrointestinal leaks, bleeding, coronary heart disease, and pulmonary embolism. Reported common causes of delayed mortality were gastrointestinal leaks and malnutrition. This study characterises patients where death was attributed to a bariatric procedure and identifies common causes of death in these patients. This could aid development of strategies for preventing and managing these complications in the future.

Keywords: bariatric surgery; delayed mortality; early mortality.

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