13 year old niece is doing fine!

Laura is at Childrens hospital.  Dr. Clements said she did great. She should get to come home in the morning. The British film crew doing the documentary filmed the whole surgery. It should be a really interesting documentary.

Thanks for the update!  She's been on my mind.  Keeping her in my prayers.  I'm so proud for her and I would LOVE to see that documentary! 

My sister has Dr. Clements # and is checking in to this for my nephew.  He wants this. 

The documetary will be on the BBC (British Broadcasting) Hopefully the U.S. is going to buy it. It will be awhile, at least a year to get the full thing done. But I will be sure to let you know when I find out about it. I found this article for you. Take Care. All my best, Lisa

SPECIAL ARTICLE

Bariatric Surgery for Severely Overweight Adolescents: Concerns and Recommendations

Thomas H. Inge, MD, PhD^*, Nancy F. Krebs, MD, Victor F. Garcia, MD^*, Joseph A. Skelton, MD, Karen S. Guice, MD^||, Richard S. Strauss, MD^¶, Craig T. Albanese, MD^#, Mary L. Brandt, MD^**, Lawrence D. Hammer, MD, Carol M. Harmon, MD, PhD, Timothy D. Kane, MD^||, William J. Klish, MD^¶¶, Keith T. Oldham, MD^##, Colin D. Rudolph, MD, Michael A. Helmrath, MD^**, Edward Donovan, MD^*** and Stephen R. Daniels, MD, PhD^***

 

^* Departments of Pediatric Surgery
^*** Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
Section of Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado
Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics
^|| Department of Surgery
^## Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
^¶ Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Titusville, New Jersey
^# Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital
Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California
^** Division of Pediatric Surgery, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery
^¶¶ Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
^|| Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

As the prevalence of obesity and obesity-related disease among adolescents in the United States continues to increase, physicians are increasingly faced with the dilemma of determining the best treatment strategies for affected patients. This report offers an approach for the evaluation of adolescent patients' candidacy for bariatric surgery. In addition to anthropometric measurements and comorbidity assessments, a number of unique factors must be critically assessed among overweight youths. In an effort to reduce the risk of adverse medical and psychosocial outcomes and increase compliance and follow-up monitoring after bariatric surgery, principles of adolescent growth and development, the decisional capacity of the patient, family structure, and barriers to adherence must be considered. Consideration for bariatric surgery is generally warranted only when adolescents have experienced failure of 6 months of organized weight loss attempts and have met certain anthropometric, medical, and psychologic criteria. Adolescent candidates for bariatric surgery should be very severely obese (defined by the World Health Organization as a body mass index of 40), have attained a majority of skeletal maturity (generally 13 years of age for girls and 15 years of age for boys), and have comorbidities related to obesity that might be remedied with durable weight loss. Potential candidates for bariatric surgery should be referred to centers with multidisciplinary weight management teams that have expertise in meeting the unique needs of overweight adolescents. Surgery should be performed in institutions that are equipped to meet the tertiary care needs of severely obese patients and to collect long-term data on the clinical outcomes of these patients.

 

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Key Words: bariatric surgery • gastric bypass • adjustable gastric band • adolescence • obesity • overweight

 

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index • AGB, adjustable gastric banding

 

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Received for publication Jul 2, 2003; Accepted Nov 10, 2003.

 

Praying for her  Glad she's doing good.

Hi Lisa,
Praying for Laura's quick recovery!! Please keep us updated on her. I am looking forward to seein this documentary!!
Love ya,
Michele

Hey....I am so happy she is doing well!  I hope she has a speedy recovery.