Initial outcomes of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in morbidly obese adolescents.
BACKGROUND
Adolescent obesity is an epidemic in the United States, leading to significant morbidity. Because the impact of laparoscopic bariatric surgery in this population is not as well delineated as in adults, we examined the short-term outcome of adolescents undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass at our institution.


METHODS
The medical records of patients < or =18 years of age who had undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass for morbid obesity from 1999 to June 2005 were reviewed. The outcome variables examined included preoperative body mass index, percent of excess weight lost for those with at least 3 months of follow-up, length of hospital stay, postoperative morbidity and mortality, changes in comorbid conditions, and effects of surgical weight loss on quality of life. Data are presented as the mean +/- standard error of the mean.


RESULTS
Eleven patients (seven girls and four boys) had undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The mean follow-up was 11.5 +/- 2.8 months (range 3-32). The average patient age was 16.5 +/- 0.2 years, and the average body mass index was 50.5 +/- 2.0 kg/m(2). The average number of comorbidities was 5.3, 70% of which improved or resolved postoperatively. No mortalities resulted. Of the 11 patients, 1 had early postoperative bleeding and 2 developed a marginal ulcer. The quality-of-life surveys obtained from 9 patients reflected an overall improvement in self-esteem, social functioning, and productivity in school or the workplace.


CONCLUSIONS
The initial data suggest that laparoscopic gastric bypass is an effective weight loss treatment for morbidly obese adolescents.
Collins
Joy
J
Division of Minimally Invasive Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Mattar
Samer
S
Qureshi
Faisal
F
Warman
Juanita
J
Ramanathan
Ramesh
R
Schauer
Philip
P
Eid
George
G
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome