Frequently Asked Questions |概述
The Weight Loss Surgeryteamunderstands that being severely overweight can have a tremendous effect on a child's life — now and throughout adulthood. Our guiding principle is that weight loss surgery (also known as bariatric surgery) should only be considered after all other attempts at reaching a healthy weight have failed.
Weight loss surgery can be a safe and effective option for a child whose obesity has resisted all other types of treatment. However, it’s important to understand that this surgery will affect his or her life, both immediately and for the long term.
第一步是了解减肥手术的一切。这是患者及其父母提出的一些最常见的问题。
Is weight loss surgery an effective weight loss option for adolescents?
Bariatric surgery can be a useful tool for adolescents to help break the vicious weight gain cycle and to achieve long-term weight loss and improve overall quality of health. Studies find that more than 90 percent of weight loss surgery patients are able to maintain a long-term weight loss of at least 50 percent excess body weight. However, it’s important to remember that weight loss surgery is a “tool.” Success depends on many other important factors, such as nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes.
减肥手术如何工作？
Gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy work by changing the anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach and digestive system) as well as changing energy balance and fat metabolism. The end result is that weight loss surgery helps reduce hunger and increase the feeling of fullness.
How overweight does a child need to be to have this surgery?
The child needs to be at least 100 pounds over his or her ideal body weight (a BMI greater than 40, or greater than 35 if the child has medical problems).
Are there any possible complications with this surgery?
While there are possible complications with any type of major surgery, complications with weight loss surgery are rare. They can include difficulty swallowing, infection, bleeding, pneumonia, vitamin deficiency and dumping syndrome. About one-third of people who have rapid weight loss also develop gallstones. Your surgeon will go into more detail about the specific complications with you and your family. If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.
Is weight loss surgery a long-term solution?
减肥手术可以产生长期的减肥，并改善与肥胖有关的许多健康状况，包括2型糖尿病，高血压，睡眠呼吸暂停，多囊卵巢综合征，关节疼痛，胃酸反流，不规则时期和高胆固醇。但是，为了获得最佳结果，在手术后继续健康的饮食和生活方式非常重要。
Is there a minimum age to have this surgery?
Our patients are typically teenagers, ages 13 and older, who are close to finishing their growth. However, our triage team evaluates patients on a case-by-case basis.
How do you handle the problem of loose skin after weight loss?
After losing a large amount of weight, many patients have loose, flabby skin in areas such as the stomach, thighs, neck and underside of the arms. In many cases, patients want to have plastic surgery to fix this problem. We will help you arrange this when the time is right, usually a few years after surgery.
Do you offer other options for adolescent weight loss besides surgery?
Boston Children’s Hospital offers several medically supervised programs that can help with weight loss. Our intake coordinator can help you find the program that’s right for you or your child.