NEWS RELEASES
Nightline follows patient through bariatric surgery

HOUSTON (Feb. 20, 2006) – Sixteen-year-old KiAira's road to better health through bariatric surgery at Texas Children’s will be the focus of an in-depth, two-part report on childhood obesity by ABC’s Nightline on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and Thursday, Feb. 23.

Nightline, which airs weeknights on KTRK-Channel 13 at 10:30 p.m., will air footage shot during KiAira's bariatric surgery on Jan. 30, along with interviews of the teen and another Texas Children’s bariatric surgery patient, Brittany.

KiAira qualified for the surgery because of the many serious health complications she has as a result of weighing 372 pounds and having a body mass index (BMI) of 75.8. Among the many problems she suffers from are severe sleep apnea, insulin resistance and elevated blood pressure. She also has had leg, knee and foot pain, along with peripheral edema of her feet.

There also are all sorts of social stigmas for children who are morbidly overweight. KiAira, who has been teased at school, wanted to be home schooled to avoid it.

In the short time since KiAira's surgery, she’s lost 17 pounds and her BMI has dropped to 70.9. On a liquid diet at the moment, she’s back at school and checks in daily with Texas Children’s for guidance and support.

KiAira's operation was the 12th bariatric surgery performed by Texas Children’s Hospital. All of the patients have lost significant weight and had improvement of their co-morbid health conditions. In addition to the surgery, patients benefit from counseling from a Texas Children’s dietician, a behavior therapist and a support group that meets twice a month to help patients and their families learn to make healthier lifestyle changes.

Nightline’s interview with Brittany, now 220 pounds lighter since her bariatric surgery two years ago, demonstrates the success of Texas Children’s program and the care taken to improve the medical outlook of severely overweight teens.

Resources

• Center for Comprehensive Surgical Mangement of Aolescent Obesity
• Brittany's story