Trends in metabolic bariatric surgery in adolescents in France: a nationwide analysis on an 11- year period.

Abstract

As the prevalence of obesity in adolescents has reached an alarming level of 16%, the rate of metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) in this population is also rising in several countries. This study aimed to compare the trends in types of MBS, short-term safety, and revisional rates, in younger adolescents aged < 18 years, compared with older adolescents (aged 18-19 yr) and adults aged >20 years. Clinical research center, general hospital in France. Using a national administrative database (Programme de Médicalisation des Systèmes d'Information [PMSI]), data regarding all patients undergoing MBS between 2008 and 2018 in France were examined. Demographic parameters, body mass index (BMI), co-morbidities, types of surgery, early complications, and long-term revisional rates were analyzed, comparing younger adolescents (<18 yr), older adolescents (18-19 yr), and adults (≥20 yr). The number of bariatric procedures in adolescents initially increased from 59 in 2008 to 135 in 2014, and then progressively declined to 56 procedures in 2018. Adjustable gastric banding (AGB) decreased from 83.1% (n = 49) of procedures to 32.1% (n = 18) of procedures during the study period, while sleeve gastrectomy (SG) increased from 6.8% (n = 4) to 46.4% (n = 26). In the early postoperative period, younger adolescents undergoing MBS experienced fewer episodes of reoperation (1.0% versus 1.3% in older adolescents and 2.6% in adults, P < .001) and intensive care unit (ICU) stays (.2% versus .2% in older adolescents and .6% in adults, P < .001), and no deaths were observed in younger adolescents (.02% in older adolescents and .1% in adults, P = .18). At 10 years, the AGB removal rate was lower in younger adolescents (24.8%) compared with that in older adolescents (29.6%) and adults (50.3%, P < .001). Similarly, rates of revisional surgery after SG were different in the 3 groups: 2.9%, 4.6% and 12.2% in younger adolescents, older adolescents, and adults, respectively. Despite significantly lower early complication rates and long-term revisional rates in young adolescents (<18 yr), we observed a progressive decrease in the utilization of MBS in this population in France, compared with adults (≥20 yr) and older adolescents (18-19 yr).