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Sleeve gastrectomy effective in Prader-Willi syndrome in children, adolescents
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Children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome lost weight and experienced resolution of weight-related comorbidities after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, according to recent study findings published in Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.
“Questions are raised regarding the safety of bariatric surgery in [Prader-Willi syndrome] patients, the degree and sustainability of weight loss and resolution of related health problems, long-term results, as well as the effect on growth and skeletal maturity,” Aayed R. Alqahtani, MD, RCSCS, FACS, of the department of surgery at King Saud University College of Medicine in Saudi Arabia, said in a press release. “These concerns stem from the fact that the pathophysiology of obesity in those patients is unique and differs from what is observed in the general population.”
Aayed Alqahtani
Alqahtani and colleagues evaluated 24 children and adolescents with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) aged 5 to 18 years and age-, sex- and BMI-matched controls to determine the effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on weight loss and growth between the two groups.
There was an average 8 kg/m2 decrease in BMI after the first 3 months of surgery in both groups. The PWS group had a change in BMI of –14.7 kg/m2 at the first annual visit, –15 kg/m2 at the second annual visit, –12.2 kg/m2 at the third annual visit, –12.7 kg/m2 at the fourth annual visit and –10.7 kg/m2 at the fifth annual visit, whereas the controls had a change in BMI of –15.9 kg/m2, –18 kg/m2, –18.4 kg/m2, –18.9 kg/m2 and –19 kg/m2, respectively.
No significant differences were found for postoperative height z score between the two groups.
Overall, 81.8% of comorbidities were in remission after surgery, and 97% improved, revealing no significant differences between the two groups.
“Our study indicates that bariatric surgery should be recommended for pediatric PWS patients; our results are unmatched by any other treatment,” Alqahtani said. “All of our patients experienced significant weight loss following [laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy]. There were no deaths or major complications, no significant morbidity, and no slowing of growth. Most of the weight loss occurred within the first 2 years after surgery, and patients successfully reduced food intake and felt satiated by smaller amounts of food due to reduced stomach capacity.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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