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Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for a two-and half year old morbidly obese child
Mohammed Al Mohaidly1, Ahmed Suliman, Horia Malawi
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh 11159, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is safe and effective for treating severe childhood obesity, even in very young children. This bariatric surgery significantly reduced BMI and improved sleep apnea in a 2.5-year-old patient.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Bariatric Surgery
- Obesity Management
Background:
- Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is a recognized bariatric surgery for obesity.
- LSG has shown effectiveness in pediatric cases but has not been documented in very young children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the safety and efficacy of LSG in a very young child with morbid obesity.
- To evaluate the impact of LSG on associated comorbidities like obstructive sleep apnea and leg bowing.
Main Methods:
- Case report of a 2.5-year-old child with morbid obesity undergoing LSG.
- Pre-operative investigations excluded genetic or hereditary causes of obesity.
- Post-operative follow-up for two years, monitoring BMI and comorbidities.
Main Results:
- LSG was well-tolerated with no complications.
- Significant reduction in obstructive sleep apnea within two months post-surgery.
- Drastic reduction in Body Mass Index (BMI) from 41.1 to 24 kg/m² at 24 months post-surgery.
Conclusions:
- LSG is a safe and effective option for severe obesity in children under three years old.
- This case represents the youngest child reported to undergo LSG.
- Further studies are essential to monitor long-term growth and development in pediatric LSG patients.
Introduction:
Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an accepted technique in bariatric surgery for reducing obesity. Recent reports indicate it to be effective even in children but it has not been tried in very young children.
Presentation Of Case:
We report here a case of a 2 and half years old child subjected to LSG for his morbid obesity and associated obstructive sleep apnea and bowing of legs. LSG was performed after investigations ruled out hereditary or genetic causes of obesity. The procedure was well tolerated without any complications and 2 months post surgery, the obstructive sleep apnea decreased substantially. The child was followed up for two years. At the last follow up BMI was drastically reduced from a pre surgical value of 41.1-24kg/m(2) at 24 months post surgery.
Discussion:
Prior to our report the youngest child to undergo sleeve gastrectomy was 5 years old from Saudi Arabia. We observed LSG to be safe and effective in reducing obesity and related co morbidities in a two and half year's old child.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that LSG can be a safe and effective alternative for weight control in morbidly obese children even of less than 3 years of age. However more studies and long term follow up is essential for monitoring the growth and development of children subjected to LSG.