Brief Article
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World J Diabetes. Oct 15, 2013; 4(5): 202-209
Published online Oct 15, 2013. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v4.i5.202
Effect of ethnicity on weight loss among adolescents 1 year after bariatric surgery
Sarah E Messiah, Gabriela Lopez-Mitnik, Deborah Winegar, Bintu Sherif, Kristopher L Arheart, Kirk W Reichard, Marc P Michalsky, Steven E Lipshultz, Tracie L Miller, Alan S Livingstone, Nestor de la Cruz-Muñoz
Sarah E Messiah, Steven E Lipshultz, Tracie L Miller, Division of Pediatric Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, United States
Gabriela Lopez-Mitnik, Kristopher L Arheart, Division of Pediatric Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics, University of Miami Leonard M Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, United States
Deborah Winegar, Bintu Sherif, Surgical Review Corporation, Raleigh, NC 27609, United States
Kirk W Reichard, Department of Surgery, Nemours Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19803, United States
Marc P Michalsky, Department of Pediatric Surgery Nationwide Children's Hospital The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43235, United States
Alan S Livingstone, Nestor de la Cruz-Muñoz, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Leonard M Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, United States
Author contributions: Messiah SE, Winegar D, Reichard KW, Michalsky MP and de la Cruz-Muñoz N were responsible for the concept and design of the study; all authors analyzed and interpreted the data, reviewed, wrote, or revised the report for critical content, and approved the final version of the report.
Supported by National Institutes of Health Grant K01 DA 026993 (Messiah SE)
Correspondence to: Sarah E Messiah, PhD, MPH, Division of Pediatric Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M Miller School of Medicine, Batchelor Children’s Research Institute, Room 541, 580 NW 10th Avenue (D820), Miami, FL 33101, United states. smessiah@med.miami.edu
Telephone: +1-305-2431943 Fax: +1-305-2438475
Received: July 22, 2013
Revised: August 26, 2013
Accepted: September 14, 2013
Published online: October 15, 2013
Abstract

AIM: To investigate whether or not bariatric surgery weight outcomes vary by ethnicity in a large, nationally representative sample of adolescents.

METHODS: The Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database was used for analysis and contains data on surgeries performed on adolescents from 2004 to 2010 from 423 surgeons at 360 facilities across the United States Adolescents (n = 827) between 11 and 19 years old who underwent either gastric bypass or adjustable gastric banding surgery were included in the analysis. Outcome measures included changes in anthropometric measurements [weight (kg) and body mass index] from baseline to 3 (n = 739), 6 (n = 512), and 12 (n = 247) mo after surgery.

RESULTS: A year after patients underwent either gastric bypass (51%) or adjustable gastric banding (49%) surgery, mean estimated weight loss for all ethnic groups differed by a maximum of only 1.5 kg, being 34.3 kg (95%CI: 30.0-38.5 kg) for Hispanics, 33.8 kg (95%CI: 27.3-40.3 kg) for non-Hispanic blacks, and 32.8 kg (95%CI: 30.9-34.7 kg) for non-Hispanic whites. No overall pairwise group comparisons were significant, indicating that no ethnic group had better weight loss outcomes than did another.

CONCLUSION: Bariatric surgery substantially reduces the weight of severely obese adolescents at 1 year post-procedure with little variation by ethnicity and/or gender. These results suggest that bariatric surgery is a safe and reasonable treatment for all severely obese adolescents with the appropriate indications.

Keywords: Bariatric surgery, Gastric bypass surgery, Adjustable gastric band surgery, Adolescents, Severe obesity, Ethnicity, Weight loss

Core tip: Bariatric surgery is one of the few effective treatments for severe obesity. Among adults, outcomes of bariatric surgery differ by ethnicity. We tested whether this relationship is also true among adolescents. Outcome measures included changes in anthropometric measurements (weight and body mass index) from baseline (n = 827) to 1 year after surgery. Our results support the conclusion that bariatric surgery can substantially reduce weight in severely obese adolescents for at least 1 year, irrespective of their race or ethnicity. Ethnicity is a reasonable and safe treatment for all severely obese adolescents with the appropriate indications.