Effectiveness of Bariatric Surgery in Reducing Weight and Body Mass Index Among Hispanic Adolescents
Nestor de la Cruz-Muñoz, Gabriela Lopez-Mitnik, Kristopher L. Arheart, Tracie L. Miller, Steven E. Lipshultz, Sarah E. Messiah
- This was the first published study to specifically examine how well bariatric surgery works for Hispanic teenagers — a group that is affected by severe obesity at higher rates than other populations but had not previously been studied separately. Dr. de la Cruz-Muñoz led this research as the first author.
- The results showed that Hispanic adolescents achieved significant and meaningful weight loss after bariatric surgery, with outcomes that were comparable to or even better than those seen in teens of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. This means that Hispanic teens can expect the same excellent results from weight loss surgery.
- The study used data from a large national database maintained by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, giving the findings broad applicability rather than reflecting the experience of just one hospital or surgeon.
- Dr. de la Cruz-Muñoz has also published similar research showing that bariatric surgery is effective for Hispanic adults, making him one of the few bariatric surgeons in the country who has published peer-reviewed outcomes data for Hispanic patients across both age groups — teens and adults.
- For Hispanic families in South Florida considering weight loss surgery for their teenager, this study provides reassurance that the procedure has been specifically studied and proven effective in Hispanic adolescents — the population most representative of Dr. de la Cruz-Muñoz's patient community in Miami.
This study published in Obesity Surgery analyzed the effectiveness of bariatric surgery in reducing weight and body mass index (BMI) specifically among Hispanic adolescents. Using data from the Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database (BOLD) — a national registry maintained by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) — the study examined weight loss outcomes following laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) among Hispanic adolescents compared with non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black adolescents. The results demonstrated that bariatric surgery produced significant and clinically meaningful weight loss and BMI reduction among Hispanic adolescents, with outcomes comparable to or exceeding those observed in other racial and ethnic groups. The study provided critical evidence that bariatric surgery is effective across racial and ethnic groups in the adolescent population, addressing concerns that outcomes data generated primarily from non-Hispanic White cohorts might not be generalizable to the Hispanic population. These findings are particularly relevant given that Hispanic adolescents are disproportionately affected by severe obesity compared with their non-Hispanic White counterparts, yet have historically been underrepresented in bariatric surgery utilization data. Dr. de la Cruz-Muñoz is the first author, reflecting his leadership in generating the first published data on bariatric surgery weight loss effectiveness specifically among Hispanic adolescents using a national database.
de la Cruz-Muñoz N, Lopez-Mitnik G, Arheart KL, Miller TL, Lipshultz SE, Messiah SE. Effectiveness of Bariatric Surgery in Reducing Weight and Body Mass Index Among Hispanic Adolescents. Obesity Surgery. 2013;23(2):150-156. doi:10.1007/s11695-012-0730-0. PMID: 22918552.
