Lap band surgery ‘reasonable option’ for severely SA obese teens
LAP band surgery is a “reasonable option” for severely obese teenagers, a study that followed obese adolescents in South Australia concludes.
- Obesity epidemic: Need for more bariatric surgery in public hospitals
- Lap band corrections denying overweight from accessing obesity surgery
- Surgery for weight loss triples in five years
- Mum loses 58kg after gastric band surgery
LAP band surgery is a “reasonable option” for severely obese teenagers, a study that followed obese adolescents in South Australia concludes.
The controversial procedure has significant benefits according to the work led by University of Adelaide researchers in collaboration with Flinders Medical Centre and published in the journal Obesity Surgery.
The research followed 21 severely obese teenagers between 14 and 18-years-old who had Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding (lap band surgery) in the South Australian Health Service.
It is the first to record medium to long-term follow-up — three-to-five years — of lap band surgery in Australian adolescents.
After finding the reversible procedure resulted in better weight loss than other methods the authors concluded lap band surgery ‘is still a reasonable option to be considered as a temporary procedure to manage severe obesity during adolescence.’
Severe obesity is associated with serious physical and psychological conditions.
National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines for obesity management say the surgery should be considered in adolescents with severe obesity and the presence of obesity-related diseases and who don’t respond to medical treatment.
However, there was no data available in Australian adolescents beyond 24 months after surgery, study author Dr Alexia Pena said.
“We are talking about a group of adolescents with severe obesity and significant health and psychological problems related to their increased weight — this is not for everyone,” said Dr Pena, a paediatric endocrinologist and senior lecturer at the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute.
The study found weight and BMI improved significantly at all follow-up times following surgery from three months through to 45 months and, in some cases, as long as five years.
Dr Pena said the reduction was a good result when compared with using medication or lifestyle measures.
“Lap band surgery is reversible and allows time for adolescents to mature to make a more informed decision on a permanent surgical procedure if required later on in life,” she said. “This is not the case for other surgeries currently offered for obesity management.
“It is also important that teenagers undergoing this surgery have access to an experienced surgeon as part of a multidisciplinary paediatric team of doctors and health professionals to ensure there is long-term regular follow-up.”
Paediatric surgeon Mr Sanjeev Khurana, who did all the lap band surgeries between 2009 and 2013, said lap band surgery was a reversible surgical procedure that could be safely used in teens with severe obesity.
“Although gastric banding has been controversial and is currently less used in adults with severe obesity, lap band surgery is one of the most studied surgeries for obesity management, has a high safety record and can be a temporary option to manage severe obesity during adolescence,” he said.
“Our findings support lap band surgery as a safe and effective option for management of adolescents with severe obesity — provided it is performed by an experienced surgeon and managed afterwards in a paediatric multi-disciplinary environment with regular follow-up until adulthood.”