Weight and Waiting for Adolescent’s Bariatric Surgery: Changes in Weight During Waiting Periods for Bariatric Surgery in Adolescents

Background: Bariatric surgery is an emerging effective treatment option for adolescents suffering from morbid obesity. However, the surgery is often in high demand with long waiting periods. No prior research regarding the significance of waiting periods for bariatric surgery in adolescents was found. Our study aimed to evaluate changes in weight trends in adolescent candidates for bariatric surgery during the waiting period between acceptance and admission to the bariatric process (pre-surgical preparation, surgery, and follow-up). Methods: Fifty-one adolescent bariatric surgery candidates were accepted and subsequently admitted to the bariatric process. BMI data was retrieved from medical files and direct measurements, and BMI-change trends during the waiting period were compared with naturalistic trends (i.e., prior to the first evaluation for bariatric surgery). Results: Naturalistic BMI-trends showed an average gain of 0.3 BMI points per-month. After acceptance to the bariatric process and during the waiting period, this figure dropped, and candidates for surgery lost an average of 0.06 BMI points per-month. Waiting periods lasted an average of 5.2 months. Shorter waiting periods were associated with better weight reduction and maintenance. Conclusions: A significant reduction in weight-gaining trends occurred during the waiting period for bariatric surgery in adolescents, which may reflect motivational and lifestyle changes due to expectancy for surgery. Decision makers may aim for short waiting periods in order to capitalize on this effect. Further research needs to be conducted in order to clarify the effects of waiting periods for bariatric surgery in adolescents.