A minimally invasive, reversible weight loss surgery offers obese teens struggling with serious health complications a way to get their lives back. A California hospital is the first in the state to perform laparoscopic gastric band surgery on overweight adolescents.

Laparoscopic gastric band surgery is an alternative to the permanent, more invasive gastric bypass surgery, in that a small band is cinched around a part of the stomach rather than cutting or stapling the stomach to constrict the passage of food. The band creates a small pocket below the esophagus, which causes a full feeling even after a few bites of food. The diameter of the band can be made smaller or larger by adding or removing a liquid under the skin of the abdomen.

“These procedures are for teens suffering from severe, often life-threatening complications of obesity,” said Craig Albanese, MD, chief of pediatric surgery at Packard Children's Hospital in California who performed gastric band surgery on a 400-pound teen. “One hundred percent of these teens have very serious medical problems. This isn't just ‘I want the surgery so I can look better.'”

Obese adolescents often suffer serious health complications including high blood pressure, liver problems, joint problems, diabetes, breathing problems, and vision impairment. These health issues threaten a child's life, but also make gastric band procedures more complex. It is extremely important that gastric band procedures are performed only by experienced surgeons who specialize in pediatric surgery.