Terapias quirúrgicas en adolescentes con obesidad. Revisión bibliográfica

Abstract

Introduction: Severe obesity is a significant health problem faced by a large proportion of adults and children worldwide. For the past four decades, the world has been experiencing an alarming and concerning phenomenon due to the excessive increase in cases of overweight and obesity among young people. This is why the World Health Organization (WHO) classified obesity as the epidemic of the 21st century in 2004. Objective: To describe the surgical treatment of obesity in adolescents. Methodology: A narrative literature review was conducted on studies, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, controlled clinical trials, case-control and cohort studies, and bibliographic reviews providing updates on surgical therapies for obesity in adolescents from 2018 to 2023 in English and Spanish. Results: Thirty-one articles were selected, revealing that the therapies used in adolescents with obesity include sleeve gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, adjustable gastric band, intragastric balloons, and vagal blockade. Bariatric surgery led to an average 3-year reduction in Body Mass Index (BMI) of 29% with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and 27% with vertical sleeve gastrectomy among people aged 19 years and younger. Conclusions: Appropriate treatment approaches for adolescent obesity should consider age, gender, pubertal status, the severity of obesity, underlying etiology, obesity-related complications, psychosocial factors, and patient and family preferences