Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Pediatric Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Overview

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a debilitating skin condition involving recurrent painful bumps, draining wounds, and scars within skin folds like the underarms, chest, and groin. Obesity is the most common condition seen in patients with HS, and having obesity increases the risk of having HS. Weight loss surgery might help improve HS symptoms, but studies show conflicting results, and there is no research focused on pediatric patients. At Children’s National Hospital, the Bariatric Surgery Program performs weight loss surgery for children and adolescents. With our study, we want to see whether this type of surgery has an effect on HS disease activity and severity in pediatric patients. Overall, we hope that we will be able to offer valuable recommendations regarding treatment for pediatric patients with morbid obesity and HS to improve their quality of life.

Status

This project was funded through a 2023 PeDRA Emerging Investigator Research Grant.