Children's Hospital Colorado

Research at the Bariatric Surgery Center

Under the leadership of Thomas H. Inge, MD, and pediatric endocrinologist Megan Kelsey, MD, Children's Hospital Colorado launched the Bariatric Surgery Center that takes a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of adolescent patients with severe obesity. Our team includes experts from pediatric surgery, endocrinology, nutrition and pediatric psychology.

Dr. Inge is the leading surgeon in the U.S. for the surgical treatment of adolescent obesity and served as chair and principal investigator of the NIH-funded Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) consortium, the largest and longest-term prospective study of surgical treatment of adolescent obesity. Established in 2007, Teen-LABS is the only multicenter, NIH-sponsored research on adolescent bariatric surgery.

Research Article

New research shows bariatric surgery can reverse the progression of type 2 diabetes in adolescents and that the earlier it's performed, the better.

Bariatric surgery advancements

Results from our Teen-LABS research studies have provided invaluable information about the surgical outcomes of bariatric surgery, such as reversal of type 2 diabetes and improvement of cardiovascular risk factors.

"Through research we are able to greatly amplify our impact on the lives of children."
Thomas Inge, MD, PhD

Bariatric surgery professional education videos

In these short videos, our Bariatric surgery experts offer insights into the advanced treatments and specialized clinical care they provide at our hospital.

What our bariatric surgery research means for kids

Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in teens in the past 30 years. Severe obesity now affects millions of teenagers who are developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease and more. For severely obese teens, bariatric surgery results in significant weight loss and reduction (or even reversal) of these difficult-to-treat co-morbidities.

Teen-LABS research provides information about the efficacy and complications of bariatric surgery in severely obese adolescents. It also helps to provide valuable information on the clinical, epidemiologic and behavioral aspects of teenage obesity and surgical intervention.

Contact us at 720-777-5202 or bariatricsurgery@childrenscolorado.org.

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