Lay summary
Publicly funded bariatric surgery is currently distributed inequitably in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Research shows that New Zealand European patients are considerably more likely to access bariatric surgery, with Māori and Pasifika less likely to proceed through public bariatric programs to surgery. Additionally, patients who live rurally and who reside in areas of high levels of deprivation are also less likely to access publicly funded bariatric programs. Whilst multiple studies have assessed inequities in access to bariatric surgery, few inquiries have been made into the cost efficacy of bariatric surgery or its impact on reducing the cardiovascular disease burden of New Zealanders. This research aims to assess the impact of bariatric surgery on the cardiovascular disease burden among New Zealanders and to perform cost-efficacy analyses to understand the economic benefit of bariatric surgery in New Zealand through the Health Research Council-funded VAscular Risk Equity for All New Zealanders (VAREANZ) programme database.