Weight Loss Surgery in Adolescents With Extreme Obesity

The use of bariatric surgery in adolescents is controversial. On one side, bariatric surgery is the only effective treatment to achieve sustained weight loss in adults with extreme obesity. Comorbidities are reversed and mortality is reduced. In adolescents, bariatric surgery is equally effective; however, due to the paucity of long-term data, the long-term effects and risks are unknown. Thus, due to surgical risk and ethical implications, bariatric surgery is considered experimental in Germany. Nevertheless, case volumes are increasing. The aim of this study is to evaluate the benefits and risks of adolescent bariatric surgery in the context of a structured preparation and follow-up program. The study is a subproject of the study "Medical and psychosocial implications of adolescent extreme obesity - acceptance and effects of structured care" (DRKS00004172). At 5 German university centers (Ulm, Datteln, Berlin, Essen, Leipzig), youth who undergo bariatric surgery and are participants in the overall project will be enrolled in a structured preparation and follow-up program. The program is designed to improve adherence and compliance and will result in comprehensive follow-up data. In addition to the data gathered in the overall project, subjects participating in subproject 3 will undergo assessments pertinent to bariatric surgery, as proposed in the American Teen-LABS study (http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/ research/divisions/t/teen-labs/default/). Comparison will be made with BMI matched adolescents who participate in the overall project but do not undergo bariatric surgery. In November 2014 recruitment for the overall project was completed. However, patients interested in bariatric surgery will still be recruited until September 2016. There assessment will be the same as for patients recruited earlier. However, in an amendment in December 2014, the frequency of assessment via questionnaire was reduced from biannually to annually. In addition, a travel reimburs