Among young adults followed up to 6 years after pediatric bariatric surgery, marijuana and e-cigarette use were documented, raising concerns about substance use during a vulnerable recovery period.
Bariatric surgeons, adolescent medicine specialists, and post-surgical care teams.
Marijuana and e-cigarette use documented up to 6 years post-pediatric bariatric surgery
What the researchers found
Marijuana, conventional cigarette, and e-cigarette use were observed in young adults who had undergone pediatric bariatric surgery, with substance use patterns emerging during the post-surgical years when addiction vulnerability may be heightened.
Why it matters
Post-bariatric surgery patients face altered substance metabolism and increased addiction risk. Understanding substance use patterns in this population is important for post-surgical care guidelines.
The numbers in context
Five academic medical centers. Young adults followed up to 6 years post-pediatric bariatric surgery. Marijuana, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes/alternative products assessed.
How the study worked
Longitudinal follow-up of young adults from five academic medical centers who underwent pediatric metabolic and bariatric surgery. Assessed marijuana, cigarette, and alternative tobacco product use up to 6 years post-surgery.
What this study cannot tell us
Multi-center but likely small sample. Self-reported substance use. Cannot compare to non-surgical controls without additional data. Post-surgical metabolic changes may affect how substances are processed but were not measured.
How to read the evidence
Multi-center longitudinal study. Descriptive data without control comparison limits interpretation.
When this study was published
Published 2023.
The bigger picture
Bariatric surgery is increasingly performed in adolescents, and the post-surgical years coincide with peak substance experimentation. Altered gut absorption after surgery may change how substances, including cannabis, are metabolized.
Questions still open
- Does bariatric surgery alter cannabis metabolism or subjective effects? Should post-bariatric care protocols specifically screen for and address substance use?
Common questions
Why does substance use matter after bariatric surgery?
Do teens use cannabis after weight loss surgery?
Read the original research
Marijuana, e-cigarette, and tobacco product use in young adults who underwent pediatric bariatric surgery.
Surgery for obesity and related diseases : official journal of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, 19(5), 512-521
Citation
Zeller, Meg H; Strong, Heather; Reiter-Purtill, Jennifer; Jenkins, Todd M; Mitchell, James E; Michalsky, Marc P; Helmrath, Michael A. (2023). Marijuana, e-cigarette, and tobacco product use in young adults who underwent pediatric bariatric surgery.. Surgery for obesity and related diseases : official journal of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, 19(5), 512-521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2022.11.008
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