Weight-Loss Surgery is Effective in Teens

Experts though emphasize that there are certainly non-surgical alternatives that may work for obese kids

Weight-loss surgery is not readily recommended for obese teens by many physicians. However, a recent study has reported that it may be a safe and effective treatment of obesity in teens.

For the study, researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine reviewed data from over 400 surgeons at 360 facilities all over the United States who performed weight-loss surgeries on almost 900 very obese male and female patients 11 to 20 years of age.

Gastric bypass surgery and gastric band surgery

There were two types of procedures performed, such as gastric bypass surgery and gastric band surgery. In gastric bypass surgery, the stomach is divided into two portions: a bigger portion and a smaller one; then the smaller stomach pouch is attached to the small intestines. Gastric band surgery involves the placement of a silicone band around the stomach in order to reduce its size.

After a year, both methods were found to lower the patients’ weight and body mass index (a body fat measurement based on height and weight). In addition, the researchers said that both surgical procedures resulted in significant improvements in a number of physical and mental health problems related to obesity, including high blood pressure, diabetes and depression.

Among all patients who had the surgeries the average weight loss was 66 pounds. Weight loss was noted to be more than two times in teens who had gastric bypass than those who went through gastric band surgery.

In a news release issued by the university, Sarah Messiah, a research associate professor and perinatal/pediatric epidemiologist and the study lead author, said that these encouraging results following bariatric surgery “have not been documented for other treatment options, especially in this age group.”

One participant of the study died due to cardiac arrest five months after having the surgery. But the mortality rate from bariatric surgery is still much lower compared to almost any other form of surgery, said Messiah.

This was the first large-scale study of weight-loss surgery in this age group and could modify the treatment alternatives available to teens suffering from extreme obesity.

Bariatric surgery as obesity treatment in teens

But experts warned that bariatric surgeries certainly come with risks as compared to lifestyle modifications, including dietary changes and physical activity.

According to Dr. Lisa Altshuler, director of Kids-Weight Down at Maimonides Medical Center, in New York City, the new study offers information regarding a number of the beneficial effects of bariatric surgery for teens suffering from extremely morbid obesity, “however there are still several caveats that should be kept in mind.”

Altshuler said the study authors point out that their participants included patients aged 11 to 18, but it appears that majority of them were nearer the age 18 rather than 11, given the mean age of the patients. “Surgery is a drastic solution, and anything that disrupts absorption of nutrients can have an effect on younger adolescents who are not close to the end of their growth. In choosing between surgery versus intensive behavioral treatment of diet and exercise, one must always weigh the costs/potential risks of surgery against the obesity-related problems an adolescent suffers. And the younger the age of the adolescent, the more concern there should be about such surgery,” she added.

Another expert, Nancy Copperman, was in agreement. Even though this article shows that surgery is an alternative treatment for obese teenagers, “it is important to remember that it should not be the first line of treatment for all obese adolescents,” said Copperman, who’s director of Public Health Initiatives in the Office of Community Health at the North Shore-LIJ Health System, in Great Neck, NY.

A “team approach” to modification in lifestyle practices can help obese teens lose weight without going through surgery, she said mentioning that the team should include a pediatrician, registered dietitian and psychologist.

Moreover, support from family is vital. Copperman further said that families providing support to their child “by joining him in lifestyle changes such as exercise and healthy meals, and helping him to problem-solve difficult situations will have the most success.”

The study appeared in the online edition of Surgery for Obesity and Related Disease and will be published in an upcoming print issue of the journal.