Benefits, Risks Of Surgery For Obese Teens Studied At UAB

Robin Herston has struggled with her weight since she was 11. But, her weight problem spun out of control a few years ago, after her best friend was killed in a car accident. She became severely depressed and couldn’t motivate herself to exercise. Eating was her main way of coping, she said.

June 11, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Robin Herston has struggled with her weight since she was 11. But, her weight problem spun out of control a few years ago, after her best friend was killed in a car accident. She became severely depressed and couldn’t motivate herself to exercise. Eating was her main way of coping, she said.

In just one year, Herston gained 100 pounds. The 5-foot-7 high school senior now weighs 300 pounds. Since Herston suffers from several other health conditions related to her size, including hypertension, diabetes and a condition called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, doctors say she desperately needs to lose weight.

Although Herston participated in a six-month intensive program coordinated by the Children’s Center for Weight Management (CCWM) within the Children’s Health System, she was unable to lose enough weight to correct her health problems.

On June 28, doctors will perform gastric bypass surgery on Herston, shrinking her stomach to the size of an egg. This procedure is expected to control her appetite and improve her overall health. The surgery is part of a federally-funded study administered through the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), designed to examine the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on obese teens.

Millions of American teenagers, like Herston, suffer from severe obesity. Surgery is an effective and feasible weight-loss option for many when diet and exercise fail. The goal of the study is to determine if adults and adolescents experience different health problems following the surgery, and if there is any benefit to having the surgery at a younger age.

UAB researchers are enrolling 50 participants for this study and will track the teens for five years following their surgeries. Eligible patients will undergo bariatric surgery, and their progress and health will be tracked throughout the duration of the study.

“We plan to enroll adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19 who meet specific criteria, such as BMI (body mass index) above 40 and with documented obesity-related illnesses,” said Carroll M. Harmon, M.D., professor of pediatric surgery at UAB and surgical director of the Children’s Center for Weight Management.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Texas Children’s Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh are also collecting data and participating in this research.

Patients must agree to have information collected pre-operatively and for two years post-operatively.


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