Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial disparities in adolescent bariatric surgery: an MBSAQIP analysis - Takeaways - MDSpire

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial disparities in adolescent bariatric surgery: an MBSAQIP analysis

  • By

  • Nikita S. Thareja

  • Ana Garcia Cabrera

  • J. Jeffery Reeves

  • Hannah M. Hollandsworth

  • Bryan J. Sandler

  • Garth R. Jacobsen

  • Ryan C. Broderick

  • June 16, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Severe obesity in adolescents is a growing public health issue in the U.S., with about 21% affected and at risk for serious health complications.

  • 2

    Metabolic and bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity in adolescents, yet less than 0.1% of eligible patients receive it.

  • 3

    Racial and ethnic disparities exist in access to bariatric surgery, with Black and Hispanic adolescents undergoing procedures at lower rates than White adolescents.

  • 4

    The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted healthcare delivery, affecting surgical access and potentially altering referral patterns for adolescent bariatric surgery.

  • 5

    Using the MBSAQIP registry, the study aims to assess how the pandemic influenced racial disparities in adolescent bariatric surgery rates and outcomes.

Original Source(s)

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial disparities in adolescent bariatric surgery: an MBSAQIP analysis

  • by Nikita S. Thareja, Ana Garcia Cabrera, J. Jeffery Reeves, Hannah M. Hollandsworth, Bryan J. Sandler, Garth R. Jacobsen, Ryan C. Broderick

  • June 16, 2026

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