Mr. and Mrs. Whitmer ask about gastric bypass surgery for Jamey. Based on the Evidence Analysis Library from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, what are the recommendations regarding gastric bypass surgery for the pediatric population?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The Expert Committee Recommendations Regarding the Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment of Child and Adolescent Overweight and Obesity include the following criteria for adolescents being considered for weight-loss surgery:
• Failure of at least six months of organized weight-loss attempts as determined by their primary care provider
• Severely obese (BMI 40 or greater) with serious obesity-related medical complications or have a BMI of 50 or more with less-severe co-morbidities
• Co-morbidities related to obesity that might be resolved with durable weight loss
• Attainment of a majority of skeletal maturity (generally at least 13 years of age for girls and at least 15 years of age for boys).
• Demonstrate commitment to comprehensive medical and psychological evaluations both before and after weight-loss surgery
• Capable and willing to adhere to nutritional guidelines post-operatively
• Able to decide and participate in the decision to undergo weight-loss surgery.
• Have a supportive family environment
• Evaluated by a multi-disciplinary team involved in patient selection, preparation, and surgery as well as immediate and long-term post-operative follow-up care
Potential candidates should be referred to centers with multi-disciplinary weight-management teams that have expertise in meeting the unique needs of obese adolescents. Surgery should be performed in institutions equipped to meet the tertiary needs of severely obese patients that collect long-term data on the clinical outcomes of these patients.