The benefits of obesity treatment are substantial with the ability to improve a young person’s quality of life, reverse diabetes, eliminate sleep apnea, help control high blood pressure and reduce heart disease risk.
At LVHN, we can help guide your teen’s weight-loss journey. The first step is to meet with a lifestyle coordinator to review your teen’s medical history and weight-loss goals and to discuss our adolescent program options, which include medical weight management and bariatric surgery.
A comprehensive adolescent bariatric program for weight management
Our team has extensive experience helping adolescents lose weight and keep it off. Our team includes:
- Physicians and nurse practitioners with a specific focus in obesity medicine and weight management.
- Behavioral health specialists to help your teen change their approach to eating and address the underlying emotional triggers that could be contributing to their relationship with food.
- Registered dietitians who work with your teen to implement an eating plan that considers your medical history, lifestyle and food preferences.
- Exercise physiologists who will create an activity plan to meet your teen’s health goals.
Your teen will meet with the adolescent bariatric team to provide treatment options, education and support.
Who is a candidate for our adolescent bariatric program?
- Age 14 and older
- Body mass index (BMI) 30 or greater
Adolescent bariatric surgery at LVHN
When medical weight-loss has not proven successful, bariatric surgery can be an effective treatment. However, it should not be considered a quick fix. Rather, bariatric surgery is part of a teen’s weight-loss journey and commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Our team is committed to making sure you and your teen make an informed decision.
Weight-loss surgery is a viable, life-changing obesity treatment option. Bariatric surgeon Richard Boorse, MD, with LVPG General, Bariatric and Trauma Surgery, and the LVHN team are thorough in guiding you and your teen in their weight-loss journey.
Who is a candidate for weight-loss surgery?
Weight-loss surgery is appropriate for teens who have attempted other weight-loss methods or have a health condition compounded by obesity. Generally, eligibility is the same for teens as it is for adults:
- Ages 16 and 17 years old
- BMI 40 or greater
- BMI 35 or greater if accompanied by a health condition, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension or sleep apnea
Types of adolescent bariatric surgery
Through Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence, all bariatric surgeries performed at LVHN use a minimally-invasive approach. This offers your teen various benefits, including shorter recovery times with teens, on average, staying two nights in Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital following their surgery.
Adolescents are typically recommended for sleeve gastrectomy (gastric sleeve surgery) weight-loss surgery, which works by reducing the size of the stomach. Some teens benefit from gastric bypass (also called Roux-en-Y) surgery. This option, which restricts food intake and prevents the body from absorbing calories, also helps manage acid reflux. Bariatric surgeons work with patients’ families to choose the right option for their unique needs.
Both bariatric surgery options are proven to result in significant weight loss. They also resolve high blood pressure in 70 percent of patients as well as type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea in 80 percent of patients.