New Study Provides Added Reasons Why Bariatric Surgery May Be Beneficial for Teens Who Are Obese :

The use of bariatric surgery in teens has been increasing over the past decade. How beneficial is this surgery for not just absolute weight reduction, but in relieving other complications of obesity? Can bariatric surgery reduce the musculoskeletal pain, physical functioning, and quality of life in patients followed not just immediately by post-op but several years later? To answer these questions, Bout-Tabaku (10.1542/peds.2019-1399) et al looked at longitudinal follow-up data on 242 teens enrolled in a national study of bariatric surgery who were followed for three years post-operatively. The authors discovered that musculoskeletal pain, physical functioning, and quality of life all improved over the study period. There is a lot more to be learned from the long-term follow-up of these patients who experienced bariatric surgery, so link to this study and add it to the benefits column in helping a teen who is obese and decide if the bariatric surgery option is for them.