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Lap Band Surgery Effective for Obese Teens
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The Lap Band is made by Allergan Inc.
A small study from New York University has found that adjustable gastric banding is effective for weight loss to improve the health of morbidly obese adolescents.
The study of 50 girls and boys, ages 14 to 17, was conducted at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington DC. The participants showed a 45% decrease in weight up to 2 years after surgery. The group also showed improvements in glucose metabolism, reducing the risk of developing insulin resistance that leads to diabetes.
The FDA approved the clinical trial, published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.
"This study is the first to demonstrate the improvements in overall health and distribution of weight loss after Lap band surgery in adolescents," said Evan Nadler, MD, the lead author and pediatric surgeon at Children's National. "While weight-loss surgery should always be a last resort for adults and adolescents, these findings show us that surgery in adolescents reduces the risk of significant health complications."
One concern about rapid weight loss in adolescents is the effect it may have on bones during the period of skeletal growth. The researchers found that bone mineral density was not impacted by the surgery.
Dr. Nadler is the co-director of the Obesity Institute at Children's National Medical Center, which is comprehensively addressing the epidemic of childhood obesity. Staff includes pediatricians, nutritionists, psychologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and surgeons who treat patients and families in a clinical setting. The Obesity Institute also includes researchers looking at genetic differences and racial disparities, particularly among children and adolescents, as well as community-based research among different ethnic groups.
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