Gastric Banding The Best Option for Overweight Adolescents

Gastric Banding The Best Option for Overweight Adolescents

Gastric banding is a weight loss procedure that can be performed on patients as young as 12 years old. It is a safe and effective alternative to gastric bypass in an obese adolescent. Adults have experienced vast success with the gastric bypass surgery, and there has been weight loss in every case. However, the long-term impact of gastric bypass for adolescents is yet unknown. If an adolescent has gastric bypass surgery, they will require a lifetime of nutritional supplements following the surgery. Adolescent patients that don’t meet the nutritional requirements can have skin, growth, and developmental problems following surgery. Adolescents are just in being concerned about the problems, because the nutritional deficiencies can be seen in adults who had the surgery and did not comply with a supplement regimen.

Young patients will not experience nutritional problems, because there is no rerouting of the gastrointestinal tract to reduce absorption. The gastric banding surgery may carry more risks of complications, but they are less severe than the gastric bypass surgery, and the mortality rate is less than 1 percent. The gastric banding surgery does not involve the cutting of any part of the stomach. In the banding procedure an adjustable silicone band is placed around the proximal stomach to restrict food entry. The band placed around the stomach may be tightened to allow more weight loss, or loosened in cases of pregnancy or when weight is being loss at a dangerous weight.

Gastric banding is the best option for adolescents because the procedure can be reversed. An operation must be performed to remove the band, but it is still a safer and more straightforward procedure than the gastric bypass surgery. Young patients will not change their anatomy permanently, and will be able to have the band removed, once they’ve lost weight. The gastric banding surgery is as effective as the gastric bypass surgery, and a safer procedure to perform on adolescent patients. Gastric band patients are able to lose 40 to 45 percent of their excess body weight while patients of the gastric bypass surgery experience a weight loss of 50-60 percent of excess weight. However, within three years the total weight loss from both surgeries will be about the same for patients.

The adolescent patients will experience the same weight loss advantages with the gastric banding procedure, as they would with the bypass surgery. Patients will also experience improvements in the comorbidities associated with obesity, and gastric banding will be especially effective for adolescents. The adolescent patients of gastric banding procedure require more counseling than adult patients, and must be advised to change eating habits and be patient with the weight loss process. The young patient must also have frequent follow-ups with the doctor, and some patients many adolescents require further counseling after the surgery. Having weight loss surgery can be significant for any person, but it is especially difficult for adolescents. The decision to have the procedure performed should be discussed with the parents of the young patient as well as the surgeon.