Current Issues in Bariatric Surgery for Adolescents with Severe Obesity: Durability, Complications, and Timing of Intervention

Abstract

Conventional nonsurgical management of severe obesity in the pediatric population and adolescents has focused on a multidisciplinary approach involving diet, exercise, behavioral modification, and to some extent, pharmaceuticals. Although nonsurgical strategies provide a certain degree of effective weight reduction, most of the severely obese adolescents suffer from a high relapse rate. In recent studies, long-term outcomes of bariatric surgery for severely obese adolescents have shown sustainable effects on weight loss and resolution of related comorbidities, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus in this vulnerable age group. Notably, the role and practical benefits of bariatric surgery as a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach to adolescent obesity is gaining attention and acceptance. However, a surgical approach has many obstacles that prevent the timely evaluation and optimal intervention for adolescent obesity and its comorbidities. In the present review, the latest data on long-term outcomes after bariatric surgery for severely obese adolescents in terms of durability, effects on metabolic risk factors, complications, and optimal timing were summarized. The results showed the sustainability of weight loss and comorbidity resolution in adolescents following bariatric surgery. In addition, earlier surgery in patients without an extremely high body mass index increases the likelihood of a healthier life in adulthood. This review can help clarify the beneficial effects of bariatric surgery on weight reduction and resolution of comorbidities in severely obese adolescents and remove the barriers to referral of adolescents for bariatric surgery.