Effect of bariatric surgery on obstructive sleep apnoea in adolescents

Obese adolescents, particularly those with extreme obesity (body mass index > or =40 kg/m(2)), are developing serious medical complications at an unexpectedly high rate. As non-operative approaches to weight loss have shown less than optimal results, paediatric patients are increasingly seeking bariatric surgical intervention. Bariatric surgical procedures are designed to restrict stomach size or impair macronutrient absorption. They typically result in substantial weight loss. As with adult studies, paediatric studies generally report good obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)-related outcomes after bariatric surgery. Therefore, in patients meeting eligibility criteria, bariatric surgery can be a valuable approach for achieving significant weight loss and resolution of serious comorbidities such as OSA. Studies that focus on long-term assessment of OSA are needed to understand whether OSA resolution after adolescent bariatric surgery is sustainable over the lifetime.