ABSTRACT
As the epidemic of pediatric obesity has been increasingly documented, and the efficacy and safety of bariatric surgery for adults has also become evident, more consideration has been given to bariatric procedures for clinically severely obese adolescents. Over the past 30 years, many bariatric procedures with various modifications have been introduced, including intestinal bypass (jejunocolic or jejunoileal), loop gastric bypass, horizontal and vertical gastroplasty, Rouxen-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP), biliopancreatic diversion (with or without duodenal switch), adjustable gastric banding, and most recently, sleeve gastrectomy. From the beginning of the subspecialty of bariatric surgery, the goal of the operation is to either restrict the intake of nutrients, interfere with the absorption of nutrients that are ingested, or both. The long-term goal is to maintain a degree of weight reduction which improves or eliminates obesityrelated comorbidities and decreases the risk of future obesity-related medical complications and death.
