Obes Surg. 2006 Aug;16:1062-7
Silberhumer GR, Miller K, Kriwanek S et al.
Morbid obesity is a rising problem in adolescents in the industrial nations. Up to 25% of children have a body mass index (BMI) higher than the 85th age- and sex-adjusted percentile. Obesity in youth is associated with increased risk for complications and fatalities in adulthood. In addition, these patients suffer from psychological problems and decreased quality of life. Bariatric procedures have shown effective long-term results in adults, but they are still discussed controversially in adolescent patients.
METHODS:
Between 1998 and 2004, 50 adolescent patients with a mean age of 17.1 +/-2.2 years (range 9-19 years) underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) in Austria. The psychological changes were analyzed by using a special questionnaire called the Moorehead-Ardelt/BAROS questionnaire.
RESULTS:
The mean BMI decreased from 45.2+/-7.6 kg/m(2) at time of surgery to 32.6+/-6.8 kg/m(2) after a mean follow-up of 34.7+/-17.5 months. The mean excess weight loss was 61.4 +/-35.5%. Most of the adolescents showed remarkable improvements in their quality of life. The outcome was regarded as "excellent or very good" in 32 patients, "good" in 12 patients and "fair" in 5 patients. Only one patient noticed no alterations after surgery. Two-thirds of the preoperative associated conditions resolved and one-third improved during follow-up.
CONCLUSION:
LAGB is an effective and attractive treatment option in very carefully selected obese adolescents because of its adjustability and the avoidance of major surgery. The majority of patients showed a remarkable improvement in their quality of life.
