Is age a real or perceived discriminator for bariatric surgery? A long-term analysis of bariatric surgery in the elderly.

•Bariatric surgery in the elderly is safe with low morbidity and mortality.•Bariatric surgery is effective in the elderly with 62% excess body weight loss (%EBWL) at 36 months, reduction of medications (-3) at 1 year and Diabetes remission of 47.6% at a median of 3.8 years.•Elderly patients with morbid obesity undergoing bariatric surgery were propensity matched to elderly patients with morbid obesity treated medically. The surgical patients had a significantly greater EWL (62% vs 5.3%, p<0.0001), diabetes remission (47.6% vs 1.2%, p<0.001) and a statistically significant decrease in the risk of death in (HR 0.584, CI 95% 0.362-0.941, p 0.027).