Medical Minute: Weight Loss Surgery

Weight loss surgery is on the rise for obese adolescents and young adults.

But a study in the journal Radiology finds a common procedure may have harmful effects on their bones.

The surgery is known as sleeve gastrectomy, which removes about 80% of the stomach. Researchers tracked patients between 13 and 24 years old with moderate to severe obesity.

They found that two years after the procedure, there was a decrease in bone density and strength in the lumbar spine. The study says that could indicate a long-term impact on bone health and the risk of fractures later in life.

Researchers also point out that adolescent years are a critical time for building up bone mass.

Sleeve gastrectomy procedures have increased from over 28,000 in 2011 to over 122,000 in 2020, becoming the most common type of weight loss surgery, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines on childhood obesity for the first time in 15 years.

Doctors are now recommending that children be treated early and aggressively, including with medication and surgery.