Assessment and medical management of weight regain after adolescent metabolic and bariatric surgery: a narrative review

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) in adolescents results in durable treatment of severe obesity and related complications for most. However, substantial weight regain can undermine long-term health benefits. There is no evidence-based standard of care for the medical management of weight regain after MBS in pediatrics or adults. This narrative review summarizes current pediatric evidence pertaining to the assessment and medical management of post-MBS weight regain, identifies gaps, and offers recommendations. A PubMed search was conducted through March 2024 and focused on adolescents after sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Domains included nutrition, activity, mental health, antiobesity medications, type 2 diabetes, hypothalamic obesity, and transition of care. In total, 600 articles were screened and 61 were included in this review. Recent consensus definitions for post-MBS weight regain have been established for adults but have not been validated in pediatrics. Limited, high-quality evidence was identified in the nutrition domain, where targets that may mitigate weight regain include adequate protein intake (≥60 g/d), absence of loss-of-control eating, and micronutrient sufficiency. Emerging data for post-MBS antiobesity medications in adults with/without diabetes and in adolescents with persistent obesity are promising. Large gaps include post-MBS interventions focused on physical activity and mental health. The overall quality of pediatric-specific evidence for the assessment and medical management of post-MBS weight regain is low. A standard definition of weight regain associated with health outcomes in pediatrics would be valuable. Clarifying risk and protective factors for weight regain can guide more precise risk stratification and treatment.