Adolescents and bariatric surgery: Techniques and outcomes

Abstract

Obesity has become an increasingly common problem in adolescent populations in the United States and worldwide. Although bariatric surgery has been offered to adolescents with morbid obesity for several decades, it remains controversial. Bariatric surgery is performed for adolescents with increasing frequency, and early data shows that, in experienced centers, adolescent bariatric surgery can be done safely with durable weight loss and resolution of obesity-related comorbidities. This chapter reviews the definition, demographics, and health implications of adolescent obesity, describes the most common adolescent bariatric surgical procedures and their outcomes, and outlines the key components of an adolescent bariatric surgical program.