According to the Third Annual HealthGrades Bariatric Surgery Trends in American Hospitals Study, Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital is five-star rated for the third consecutive year for bariatric surgery, which includes gastric bypass and laparoscopic procedures.

“This achievement is a testament to our dedication to providing quality health care services to each of our patients,” says Dee Siddens, certified bariatric nurse and bariatric coordinator at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center Hospital. “Surgical weight loss is a procedure that could change a patient’s life, or even save it. We are committed to delivering quality care to improve patient outcomes, and to help them achieve their weight loss goals and a healthier lifestyle.”

The HealthGrades study analyzed the outcomes of 154,451 bariatric inpatient surgery procedures performed in 680 hospitals in 17 states from 2004 through 2006. A significant correlation between the number of surgeries performed and quality was indentified. Five-star hospitals performed almost twice the volume of procedures compared to one-star rated hospitals. And bariatric surgery patients at top-rated hospitals have, on average, a 65 percent lower chance of experiencing major complications than at poor-performing hospitals, HealthGrades found.

HealthGrades’ bariatric surgery ratings are published on the Web, free of charge, at www.healthgrades.com.