08/05/2026
As obesity rates continue to rise, why are patients with the greatest surgical needs receiving fewer operations?
A new USF Health-led study published in the journal Obesity found that patients with the highest BMI are becoming increasingly underrepresented in surgical care, despite facing higher rates of conditions that often require surgery.
Led by Michael Kachmar, DO, the research analyzed more than 11.6 million surgical cases and highlights the need to better understand barriers that may prevent patients with severe obesity from accessing the care they need.
Read more: https://www.usf.edu/health/news/2026/patients-with-severe-obesity-receive-less-surgical-care-despite-rising-need-usf-health-study-finds.aspx