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Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program

When diet and exercise are not enough, weight-loss surgery may be an option for severely overweight adolescents. The Akron Children’s Hospital Healthy Active Living program offers bariatric surgery for adolescents with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 kg/m² or higher – or a BMI of at least 35 kg/m² with one or more weight-related health problems.

Our goal is to help patients improve their overall health and quality of life by achieving a healthier body weight.

Our Team

The Akron Children’s bariatric surgery team includes pediatric surgeons, a pediatrician who specializes in pediatric obesity medicine, a nurse practitioner, dietitians, an exercise physiologist, a psychologist and a social worker.

Surgical Options

Bariatric surgery causes weight loss by:

Restricting the amount of food the stomach can hold at one time.
Decreasing absorption of nutrients.
Changing hormones released by the stomach and gut.

Weight-loss surgery is usually performed using minimally invasive techniques (laparoscopic). The two most common weight-loss surgery procedures are sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass – and both are available at Akron Children’s Hospital.

The bariatric surgery team will explain each option, along with the risks and benefits. We also recommend visiting the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery website.

Our Commitment

Having bariatric surgery is a major decision that affects patients for the rest of their lives. Along with family support, the bariatric surgery team is committed to helping patients through their weight loss journeys.

The path to bariatric surgery includes a minimum of 6 monthly clinic visits for medical evaluation and coaching on lifestyle changes that will help you successfully lose weight before and after surgery. After at least 6 visits, and when you are ready, the team will move forward with the process of getting insurance approval and scheduling your surgery. For the first year after surgery, patients will need frequent follow-up visits. Then, patients will be seen once a year until they transition to an adult bariatric program.