Anesthesia for Adolescent Bariatric Surgery

The dramatic increase in pediatric obesity during the past three decades represents a real public health crisis. Research has demonstrated that the comorbidities of pediatric obesity are serious and will likely result in significant morbidity and mortality. To address the lack of effectiveness of dietary and behavioral intervention, surgeons are applying bariatric techniques as a last resort to adolescents with clinically severe obesity. Our early experience indicates that bariatric surgery has potential to help adolescents achieve a healthier weight and ameliorate obesity-related comorbidities. Adolescent bariatric surgery should only be performed at institutions with multidisciplinary expertise to manage the medical and psychologic needs of the adolescent. It is also imperative that conservative selection criteria be applied until the safety and efficacy of surgical intervention is demonstrated in this age group. Finally, prospective long-term studies must be designed and executed to evaluate the appropriateness of this surgical approach to adolescent obesity. Copyright © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.