Teenage bariatric surgery leads to sustained weight loss and cured obesity-related diseases
SAN FRANCISCO, June 29, 2006 – According to a new study, after four years, teenagers who had laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery lost nearly half their body weight and cured their hypertension and Type 2 diabetes in less than two months after surgery. Researchers from the Hospital Sao Camilo in Brazil presented their findings at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery (ASBS). 31-12-2006
 Forty-two patients between the ages of 13 to 18 who had laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery were evaluated for the study. On average, patients weighed 260 pounds prior to gastric bypass surgery and 135 pounds afterwards. All 16 patients who had hypertension and all three patients who had Type 2 diabetes before surgery were cured of these diseases in about 50 days after surgery. The teens experienced no complications from the surgery.
“Morbid obesity among teenagers is a growing problem and this study illustrates that bariatric surgery can be a safe and effective long-term solution for this group,” said Ricardo Cohen, MD, the study’s lead author and Director of The Center for the Surgical Treatment of Morbid Obesity, Hospital Sao Camilo in Sao Paulo, Brazil. “Morbid obesity is a progressive disease so the earlier the intervention whether by surgery or other means, the better the chances are to avoid future health problems and to prolong life.”
Most patients, 31, continued attending their scheduled doctor visits after surgery for more than 12 months with the average follow up being 48 months. Aiding in the follow up were parents who supported their child’s decision to have gastric bypass surgery.
“Parents offer invaluable emotional support and guidance with such a life-changing operation,” said Dr. Cohen. “This support really makes a difference in how well the teens respond to surgery.”
Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) is the most common method of bariatric surgery in the U.S. When it is performed laparoscopically, surgeons create small incisions in the abdomen to reduce the size of the stomach, which significantly limits the amount of food a person can eat.
As with any surgery, the risks and benefits should be carefully considered by the surgeon, the patient and the patient’s family. According to the ASBS, the average mortality rate in an ASBS Center of Excellence is 0.3% after 90 days based on an analysis of 33,000 patients. A 2004 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)* showed 0.1% mortality for laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) patients, 0.5% mortality for gastric bypass patients and 1% mortality for biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) and duodenal switch (DS) patients.
In 2005, the ASBS reported that an estimated 170,000 people in the U.S. had bariatric surgery. About 15 million or 1 in 50, adults in the U.S. have morbid obesity, which is associated with numerous other diseases and conditions including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, hypertension, asthma, cancer joint problems and infertility. The direct and indirect costs to the healthcare system associated with obesity are about $117 billion annually.
The ASBS is the largest organization for bariatric surgeons in the world. It is a non-profit organization that works to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery and is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about bariatric surgery as an option for the treatment of morbid obesity, as well as the associated risks and benefits. It encourages its members to investigate and discover new advances in bariatric surgery, while maintaining a steady exchange of experiences and ideas that may lead to improved surgical outcomes for morbidly obese patients. For more information about the ASBS visit www.asbs.org.
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* Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, Jensen M, Pories W, Fahrbach K, Schoelles, Bariatric surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA, 2004, 292:1724-57.
Source: www.asbs.org.
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