Thoughts on minors having WLS?

I have recently checked into my soon to be 17 year old having surgery. Her BMI is over 40. She is a jr this year and doesn't want to go to prom and says she doesn't want to have senior pictures taken next year. She normally will not step on a scale, even at the doctors office. Nationwide Children's hospital has a barbaric program and will do the sleeve. We have an appointment on Monday. She is excited about it and even says she may go to prom is year if she can lose weight before April. 

What are your thoughts? 

I would not have been mentally prepared to have surgery at that age... although that doesn't mean that I dont' think it would be a positive thing in certain cir****tances. I know at that age.... losing weight was all about looking good and being "thin" and not about getting healthy or learning more about what a healthy eating lifestyle is. I had a lot of emotional problems that I thought could be solved by being thinner and prettier.

I'm glad she's excited. I would say that she should DEFINITELY see a therapist regularly. If I had done that at her age... I truly believe that I wouldn't have gotten myself to a place where I even qualified for WLS or thought of it in any way.

Just make sure she isn't excited for the wrong reasons. Having WLS is such a serious thing that it shouldn't be done so that she can fit into a smaller prom dress... that's just an added benefit. (I'm not saying that's the only reason she would want do it)

I think it all really depends. If your daughter has a good head on her shoulders and medical professionals feel that she is an appropriate candidate for surgery, I would definitely listen to what they have to say.

I think I would look at the program. However, I would combine it with some counselling.
At 50, I know I don't have another shot. At 17, she has no concept of the long term life style change this will be. That this is a forever thing.
She needs to be sure she has her head in the game and she knows all the sleeve entails.
Dont take offense, but does she want this? Or do you want this for her?
You cant do it for her and this is a lifetime process. She may not want to do this forever.
I have no problems with an older child having the surgery, but I would have family and individual counselling first.
Its all about her.

I agree with counseling.  I also wonder, at 17, what else has she tried?  Has she really tried at a focused exercise and nutrition plan?  She is young enough that those things might make a very drastic difference for her.  If she is not disciplined enough to stick with exercise and diet yet (and believe me, at 17, I know I wasn't), then she will not be successful (long term) with the sleeve, and it could be even more damaging for her.  Also, do you think she is disciplined enough to stick to the very strict post-op eating plan?  At one week out from surgery, some of us really want to eat solid food... when I smelled the pizza my family was eating, I would have given anything for a bite.  But I know that having a bite of solid food that early out could be extremely dangerous (even life-threatening) for me, so I restrained myself.  Will she have the self-control to restrain herself against very real cravings?  This is not easy, by any means.

None of us know your daughter, of course, but in my very humble (but honest) opinion, 17 is too young.  

I would defiantly look into the program. Its a childrens hospital right? They will make sure she is ready. 

We all wish we would have done this sooner. good luck!

I say No.  Unless its medically necessary for some reason I say No.  I can't believe that she has made enough attempts on her own to lose the weight this early in her life.  I believe in weight loss surgery as a last resort after many failed attempts.....I don't think she has enough of those under her belt....not to mention teenagers are not known to be the most responsible, health conscious bunch and I would worry that she wouldn't take proper care of her nutrition needs at such a young age.....this is not just for a year or so.....its for life. 

She is probably one of the most mature teens I have ever met. She is definitely not a typical 17 year old. 

She has been on a diet over the last year and has gone to the gym every day for the pas 6-9 months. She has lost some weight 20lbs by doing this. We have talked a lot about what it takes to get ready for and after surgery. 

In the past she has done WW with me, but wasn't successful over time. She decided to be a vegan for 1 year and stuck to it even though we all were ready to knock her out. Lol. She did gain a lot of weight during that year. 

Yes it is at a children's hospital. Therapy is mandatory along with other counseling and program requirements. 

No. This isn't just to fit in a prom dress. It is to avoid all of the same health concerns that each of us did it for and appearance is a bonus. And yes. This is for her, not me. I already had my surgery, I don't need another. She however has a long life ahead of her with a lot of family history of health problems stacked against her. 

If she chooses to go forward I will support her will all I have. If she decides it isn't the right time, I will also support that too. 

I don't think she's too young. I was in nursing school at the age of 17 and completely independent. Why wait 10 or 20 years when she's even bigger (from all the failed diets) and more miserable?

I think that if done for the right reasons, a minor having bariatric surgery would be okay.

I say this because we had a student at the high school where I teach who had bariatric surgery during her junior year.  Prior to surgery, she weighed over 300 pounds and had tried multiple times to lose weight.  She was featured in a news story on the local news here because there was only one doctor in the area who would perform the surgery as she was 16 at the time surgery was done.  The news story did not say what type of surgery she had, so I don't know if it was a bypass, band or sleeve.  She was very successful and lost quite a lot of weight.  She has since graduated so I don't know what happened to her afterward.

I wish the option had been available to me at 17.  I think at that point in my life I would have done it had the sleeve been an option back in the early 90s. 

Given that you have already had the surgery, you can be a model of behavior for her to follow, especially since she is still young and living at home.  She will need a lot of time to really learn and cement the behaviors that will make her successful at weight loss with the sleeve, especially in a school environment as a high school student.  I know as a high school teacher, it has been challenging trying to make sure I am able to eat when needed; I can only imagine how challenging this will be as a student.

As long as this is something she wants and has a full understanding of--that this is a drastic lifestyle change and is permanent and requires great discipline and vigilance--I think it would be okay.

I agree emphatically with Rpick...this is a major decision and major surgery...a portion of a body organ is being permanently removed...no way should a minor be able to make such a decision, nor should anyone--even a parent--make it for them...like someone else said, this is not a medically necessary procedure (losing weight is but not WLS)...I won't repeat the good recommendations already made about counseling and dieting...sorry if you don't like some of the feedback you are getting, but you did ask