Physicians can already perform Lap-Band surgery on minors whose parents give their consent, but FDA approval would allow Allergan to market the product for use on adolescents, making it more likely that payors would cover the procedure.
Allergan is currently conducting clinical trials on teenage patients. With approximately one-third of U.S. children now classified as overweight or obese, the company believes the benefits of Lap-Band surgery should be extended to adolescents as a safe and effective way to lose weight.
Some physicians and health experts believe a lack of data on the long-term effects of Lap-Band surgery is a cause for concern when considering the device for teenagers. Mary Brandt, head of adolescent bariatric surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, told the LA Times she believes gastric bypass surgery, which involves surgically shrinking the stomach, is a better option because it does not involve the installation of a foreign object.
Read the LA Times report on Allergan.
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