Being a tween or teen is difficult for many kids, and excess weight can make it harder in many ways. We're here to help your child become the best version of themselves possible. At Cook Children's, we're committed to providing children and adolescents the tools they need to successfully lose weight and make healthy lifestyle choices.

We work with your child, family and other health care providers to achieve and maintain your child's weight loss goals. Losing weight improves their physical, mental and emotional health, inspiring them to lead the fulfilling life they deserve.

What is weight loss surgery?

Bariatric surgery is a transformative approach to losing weight for children and teens diagnosed as overweight or obese. Surgery may be an option for those who have tried other weight loss methods with no success. Weight loss surgery can:

• Change how the digestive system absorbs and uses calories.
• Normalize metabolism.
• Decrease hunger-related signals traveling from your stomach to your brain.
• Make it easier to manage diet and lifestyle to improve long-term health.

Our bariatric surgeons perform gastric sleeve surgery, or sleeve gastrectomy, which removes approximately 80 percent of the stomach. This procedure results in the stomach being shaped like a “sleeve,” restricting the amount of room available for food.

Removing so much of the stomach also decreases the production of hunger-related hormones, which are responsible for controlling appetite. Reducing these hormones decreases your child's appetite and cravings, making it easier to avoid overeating.

Gastric sleeve surgery is a minimally invasive procedure. The surgeon makes tiny incisions and uses long, thin instruments and a small camera (laparoscope) during the procedure. This approach results in your child experiencing less pain, a decreased chance of infections or complications and a faster recovery time.

Children who undergo bariatric surgery can result in up to a 30% reduction in body mass index (BMI).

Who is eligible for referral to the Metabolic Obesity and Bariatric Surgery Program?

Managing obesity can be challenging for children and teenagers. Weight loss efforts often end in frustration. But if obesity isn't treated, kids can experience other obesity-related illnesses.

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Dyslipidemia, abnormal levels of fat (lipids) in the blood

Weight loss surgery can reduce or eliminate these risks. For example, surgery can potentially reverse high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes by up to 90 percent. However, there are many factors to consider. Our team discusses them with you and carefully reviews your child's needs to ensure surgery is the right choice for them. To be eligible, your child must:

• Be 11-17 years old.
• Have a BMI above 40 or, for children with another obesity-related illness, a BMI above 35.
• Participate in our six-month program designed to prepare them for surgery.
• Complete thorough medical and psychological examinations before and after surgery.
• Follow nutritional guidelines and exercise programs before and after surgery.
• Attend clinic visits with family members for nutrition planning to ensure that everyone in the home can learn healthier habits.

"Doctor, I swear I feel much better. It may not be noticeable in my appearance, but I feel stronger. I no longer have the same exhaustion I had before. I started to eat vegetables and move more, and now I feel better, I sleep better, and that is an achievement for me since I couldn't even run before. Thank you very much!"

-- Patient of Cook Children's Medical Center in Prosper

Hope and healing happen every day here at Cook Children’s. Discover some of our highlights.