Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program

Bariatric surgery is a serious choice for anyone - and even more so when it involves an adolescent. However, bariatric surgery may be the appropriate choice for kids who need to obtain a healthy weight and/or reverse serious life-threatening medical conditions.

Bariatric surgery referral form

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What's our approach?

One of our core values at Cook Children's is collaboration. Our bariatric surgery team practices this by encouraging a partnership among the patient, family and health care providers to achieve the child's weight loss goals. This team of experts includes a board certified obesity medicine pediatrician, registered dietitian, advanced practice provider, psychologist and a pediatric surgeon. We educate and empower our patients as they prepare for weight loss surgery. That way, they can have long-lasting results. We involve specialists from Gastroenterology, Pulmonology, Cardiology, Endocrinology and Child Life as needed.

How does the bariatric program work?

To start, patients in the Cook Children's Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program visit our office for appointments over a span of six months. During this time, our team reviews each patient's needs and determines when they are psychologically and physiologically ready to proceed with surgery. After surgery, we will follow the patients for four years with comprehensive care.

"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

Patients will:

Visit with their dietitian and advanced practice provider to identify and track lifestyle habits at each appointment.
Keep a journal to track their meals, snacks, beverages and portion sizes.
Complete any necessary labs and/or radiologic workups.
Have open communication with their health care team to discuss concerns between appointments and after surgery.
Participate with their family in nutrition classes so everyone in the home can learn healthier habits.
Meet with a psychologist prior to bariatric surgery.
- This program is 6-9 months and includes the mental health aspect of obesity, as well as having surgery. One in 6 kids suffers from obesity/overweight, and we see a lot of bullying-associated depression with our patients. Being very overweight as a kid or a teenager, especially with other health problems, can be tough on their feelings. It can make them feel sad, worried or even angry. Other kids might tease them, or they might feel left out because it's harder to do fun things like run and play. All these feelings can make it hard to be happy and feel good about yourself.

Learn more about mental health resources Obesity and mental health infographic - English

Recent studies show that bariatric surgery can help reverse up to 90% of hypertension and diabetes. About 99% of our bariatric procedures are gastric sleeves.

Who qualifies for adolescent bariatric surgery?

Patients must meet the minimum criteria:

Be 13-18 years of age.
A body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater.
A BMI of 35 with one or more obesity-related comorbidities. This includes, but not limited to:
- Prediabetes
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Insulin resistance
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Hypertension
- Liver disease
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
- Dyslipidemia

Childhood obesity is a national epidemic. All children with severe obesity have the right to access high-quality bariatric surgery, regardless of race, ethnicity or socioeconomic background.

Kanika Bowen-Jallow, M.D., FACS, FAAP