Best Hospitals for Weight-Loss Surgery

If you, like Al Roker, the ever-popular foodie and weather forecaster from NBC, have ever considered the drastic step of having weight-loss surgery, you should read this first for important information about where to go and what to keep in mind.

Weight-loss surgery patients treated at highly rated hospitals have, on average, a 65% lower chance of experiencing serious complications compared with patients who undergo surgery at poorly rated hospitals, according to a study released today by HealthGrades, a leading independent health care ratings organization.

As part of the study, the quality ratings of hospitals performing weight-loss surgery in 17 states became available today at Healthgrades.com.

HealthGrades' third annual Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals study evaluated bariatric surgical outcomes at every hospital that performed them in 17 states. The study was co-authored by Rick May, M.D., a senior physician adviser. ...