Study Proves Bariatric Surgery Can be Safe and Effective for Teens


Historically, pediatricians have been reluctant to utilize bariatric surgery for teens in Texas due to concerns over its safety and effectiveness for this age group. A study led by Rutgers has concluded that for adolescents with persistent, severe obesity bariatric surgery is justifiable, provided the patient can maintain a healthy lifestyle after surgery.

Lead author Ahmed Khattab, a physician at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School's Division of Pediatric Endocrinology reports:

"If we look at obesity as a disease with the real possibility of eventual organ system failure and special health concerns for adolescents, we need to ask whether health care practitioners are doing enough to manage it. The objective evidence shows that, under the right circumstances and with the right patients, bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for adolescents with obesity."

Bariatric surgery in teens is shown through studies to be associated with the remission of a number of health risks, including type 2 diabetes and abnormal kidney function. Any resulting nutritional deficiencies have been proven to be effectively addressed with dietary supplements.

The study by Rutgers found that bariatric surgery should only be recommended for teens who are close to their final adult height, are towards the end of puberty; those who have severe obesity and persistent related complications despite the teen’s compliance with lifestyle modification programs; and only for those who can demonstrate the ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle, following a regimented diet and living habits.

Researchers also found that bariatric surgery should not be recommended to any patient with unresolved substance abuse, psychiatric or eating disorders or who have not yet mastered healthy eating and lifestyle habits.

This study confirms the scant research available on bariatric surgery in teens and provides another layer of data-driven guidelines for recommending this surgical procedure in adolescents. More research is needed in continuing to progress effective treatment methods for this population.

Location: Dallas, TX, USA

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