February 16, 2017 – Adolescent Bariatric Surgery

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Anchor lead: Has bariatric surgery for teens come of age? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Bariatric surgery for obesity treatment is serious stuff, so especially for adolescents, many have resisted this option until more long term results were available.  Now two studies reported in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology may help inform such a decision. Kimberley Steele, a bariatric surgeon at Johns Hopkins, comments.

Steele: In the past, the problem with adolescent bariatric surgery for primary care, for pediatricians is that there’s not enough evidence for long term results and the durability of weight loss in an adolescent patient. These studies now take it a step further and follow the adolescents who’ve had bariatric surgery out between five and in the other study 12 years. What it is demonstrating is there is durability of weight loss, also help with the conditions that go along with being obese.   :31

Steele says such things as lipid profiles and high blood pressure also improved for teens who had surgery. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.