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Bariatric Surgery for Teens: Weighing the Benefits and the Risks

Read the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on the health benefits of bariatric surgery for adolescent patients. UPMC’s Dr. Anita Courcoulas is part of a multi-center research group assessing the risks and benefits of bariatric surgery for obese teens.

A study published in Pediatrics showed that extremely obese teenagers, in addition to significant weight loss, experienced a reversal in their type 2 diabetes and also saw marked improvements in cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

While little research has been conducted to date on younger bariatric surgery patients, Dr. Courcoulas and colleagues from the universities of Cincinnati, Alabama-Birmingham and Texas Children’s Hospital are recruiting patients for a larger long-term study that is following teen bariatric patients and assessing health changes.

About Bariatric Surgery at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC

As a Bariatric Center of Excellence, the Minimally Invasive Bariatric and General Surgery Program at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC specializes in the treatment of obesity and abdominal problems. The bariatric surgical team at Magee is committed to improving the health of morbidly obese patients. Bariatric surgery (weight loss surgery) can help achieve long-term weight loss, reduce or eliminate life-threatening weight-related illnesses, increase life span, and improves quality of life.

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