Let me preface by saying we have done everything we can to help our daughter. Dr.'s, nutritionists, personal trainers etc, since she was 8. Nothing has worked. We think she's beautiful the way she is! This is something she has wanted and been begging us for! She wants to enjoy her teenage years, make friends and enjoy life. She doesn't feel like her physical appearance reflects who she is in the inside and feels like it holds her back. She is very depressed and begging us for surgery. We cannot afford a US doctor. I need to know who you would go to in Mexico if this was your 13 year old. This would be for sleeve.Please I don't need mean or critical comments. Thank you

If it were my daughter, I'd take her to Dr. Alvarez. Look him up on YouTube. He has performed surgeries on younger persons and is very skilled.

If I'd exhausted all options, as you have, I'd have no qualms about my daughter getting VSG.

Good luck, and give your daughter a big (((hug))) from me.

April

I would have no qualms either. My little 5 year old is 72 pounds. She eats healthy and is very conscience of her eating choices. She is not as active as she wants to be because she has bad asthma and is always on steroids. Additionally obesity is just in her DNA.

My husband and I have already decided that if she continues on this trajectory then we will consider weight loss surgery when she is of age. We are hoping for the best but why make her suffer at such a young age. By that point my husband and I will be far out post op and will know the ramifications of this surgery enough to make the right choice.

As far as her having surgery at such a young age well children bounce back way better than adults. I had open heart surgery at age 11 in June of that year and was at cheerleading camp at the end of July.

I hope for the best for her and wish you the best of luck in making your decision.

Hi, I was just wondering if you have made any decisions? I actually spoke with my patient coordinator about scheduling my daughter for right after school is out. He is sending me the name of a lady to speak with. She had. VSG and so did her 13 year old daughter. Also other family members and cousins (teens) have had the VSG as well. I've heard her daughter is doing amazing and loves her new life, but I have a lot of questions I want to ask the mom.

My daughter faked being sick from school yesterday because she is sick of being bullied for her weight. I know this won't solve everything but I want her to have the confidence in herself that she should have. She is beautiful, smart, talented, I could go on and on! But our world is very focused on weight and looks. I'm tired of my daughter siting on the sidelines of her life. Always feeling poorly about herself.

So, we are not 100% sure about moving forward, but we are praying and getting her counseling and moving in that direction.

My husband and I have set a 20lb minimum weight loss she has to do before we will commit to surgery. We have to know she is committed to the new life and ready to follow the very important post op diet.

It's a lot of money, but for my daughter to have a better quality of life, feel confident, and be healthy, there isn't much I wouldn't do / pay.

I'd love to chat more with you if you would like. I'm sure the mother of the 13 year old VSG patient would be willing to talk to you as well. Just let me know!

Good luck and I wish you and your beautiful daughter well, however you decide to proceed.

You know her best. It's dangerous to be obese at any age. The depression and social anxiety could put her at risk for serious mental health issues. As long as your her support for the responsibility she will need to be growing healthy I don't see why not. Surgery is dangerous but so is developing an eating disorder. It sounds like she has a good support system in her family. Good mom work so far!