Annual pediatric bariatric procedure rates increased from 2010 to 2017, but utilization is still low, according to a study published in Pediatrics. Baddr Shakhsheer, MD, and colleagues used the National Inpatient Sample to examine current national trends in pediatric bariatric surgery. Annual bariatric procedure rates increased from 2.29 to 4.62 per 100,000 during 2010-2017. Over time, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy outpaced Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable band (0.31 to 3.99 per 100,000). During the study period, preoperative BMI increased, while no change was seen in the number of obesity-related comorbidities. The length of stay was less than 2 days, and the rates of in-hospital complications were low. “Though a proven safe and effective weight loss intervention, pediatric metabolic and bariatric surgery is underutilized with disproportionately lower rates among minority groups,” Dr. Shakhsheer and colleagues wrote. “Further investigation into the racial and social determinants that limit access to metabolic and bariatric surgery is essential to combat this growing public health crisis.”
