Bariatric surgery, while not without risks, can be a successful way to lose weight, influence health, and increase life expectancy. The procedure is performed on individuals who are severely obese who have not been able to lose the weight by other methods. More recently, this type of surgery is being used on adolescents who are morbidly obese, but there are concerns about the effectiveness, safety and long-term benefits in this age group.

The risk of an adult dying from a weight-loss surgery has fallen below 1 percent within recent years. However, studies on teenagers who undergo these procedures are rare. Researchers Sue Kimm of the University of New Mexico, Debbie Lawlor of Britain's Bristol University and Joan Han of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, suggest that weight-loss surgery should be considered with extreme caution and only in the most obese who had exhausted all other avenues.

The article, which appeared in the current issue of The Lancet, reviewed the increase in childhood obesity between the 1970s and 1990s in ten countries. They found that the incidence had doubled and even tripled in some countries, and that a sedentary lifestyle and food choices were the biggest factors. The increase in childhood obesity had given rise to the incidence of serious health issues in children, including high blood pressure, abnormal blood fats, insulin resistance/ diabetes, fatty liver disease, and psycho-social complications.

One recent study, published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed the positive effects of surgery on this age group. Researchers found that gastric band surgery produces significantly more weight loss in obese teens than diet and exercise alone. Over two years, the surgery group lost an average of 76.2 pounds, while the lifestyle intervention group lost 6.6 pounds. In other words, 84 percent of the gastric band group lost more than half of their excess weight, compared to just 12 percent of the lifestyle group.

In the U.S., Lap-Band is currently approved for use in weight reduction for severely obese adults 18 years of age or older, though the FDA is considering broadening its standards on gastric banding to include adolescents 14 to 17.

While any type of bariatric surgery is costly, when it is deemed medically necessary insurance companies will pay for the procedure. In fact, insurance companies recoup the cost of the surgery in two to four years, according to a 2008 study. The resulting weight loss improves the overall health of the individuals and reduces or eliminates chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and heart disease, all which require regular doctor visits and medication. With improved health, medication can be reduced or eliminated and doctor visits decrease. According to the study, the average monthly medical costs for the people who had laparoscopic bariatric surgery were approximately $900 lower than those people who did not, roughly a year after the procedure.

Source : HealthNews.com