Bariatric surgery and intellectual disability: Furthering evidence-based practice

Area of Science:

• Medical Science
• Surgical Procedures
• Public Health

Background:

• Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) experience higher rates of morbid obesity.
• Barriers to nutrition and physical activity are common in this population.
• Bariatric surgery offers potential for significant weight loss and comorbidity reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of bariatric surgery literature for individuals with ID.
• To identify reported surgical interventions and outcomes in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Literature search of PubMed, Science Direct, Wiley, and Medline (1975-2014).
• Evaluation of extracted articles following scoping review guidelines.
• Inclusion of nine surgical interventions across sixteen studies.

Main Results:

• Forty-nine patients with ID underwent bariatric procedures, primarily biliopancreatic diversion and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.
• Excess weight loss ranged from 12% to 86%, with reported improvements in quality of life and comorbidities.
• Six studies had post-operative follow-up periods under two years.

Conclusions:

• Bariatric surgery appears viable for obesity in individuals with ID.
• Consensus on preferred procedures and necessary support interventions for sustained results is lacking.
• Further research, including randomized controlled trials, is recommended.