All bariatric surgeries are performed at the new, state-of-the-art surgery suites at Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands.
Currently, we offer two options – the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and the sleeve gastrectomy. Both are laparoscopic procedures which means they are minimally-invasive and use small incisions. Both are equally as effective, and the patient and their health care team will work together to determine which one is most appropriate.
The post-operative course is different for everyone, but patients usually go home the day after surgery. We will see patients at two weeks after surgery to monitor healing, then we will meet again at one month, three months, six months and then annually for the next four years. Bariatric patients may come in at any time during or after those four years with questions or problems – even into adulthood.
Bariatric surgery is a tool to help with weight loss. Adolescents undergoing major surgery will need the support of their family to initiate and maintain lifestyle changes including healthy eating and regular exercise. Sustaining these changes can be difficult; meeting regularly with other patients and their families is beneficial for clarification and motivation of making healthier choices.
