Children ‘do better with weight loss surgery’ than adults

DENVER — In this Healio video perspective, Kirk Reichard, MD, MBA, FACS, FAAP, explains what pediatricians should know about weight loss surgery for treating children with obesity.

“I think it’s a relatively new topic for many people,” said Reichard, director of metabolic and bariatric surgery at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware.

In his presentation, he discussed the indications for weight loss surgery, research documenting the safety and efficacy of weight loss surgery, and how children may respond differently from adults.

“Children actually do better with weight loss surgery in terms of their comorbidities,” he said.

Reichard also talked about the AAP’s guidance on pediatric obesity treatment, including surgical intervention, which is linked in the references section below.

For more information:

Kirk Reichard, MD, MBA, FACS, FAAP, can be reached at media@nemours.org.