Bariatric Surgery as a Treatment for Type II Diabetes

About nine out of every ten cases of type II diabetes are due to excess body fat. Losing weight is one of the best ways to combat diabetes. If you have tried and been unsuccessful at shedding extra pounds, you may qualify for bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery encompasses a variety of operations that are designed to help you change eating habits and lose weight. These operations have also been shown to combat the effects of diabetes, with some patients seeing improvement within days, as blood sugar levels return to normal. Often, all signs of diabetes vanish after a few years following surgery.

If you are considering bariatric surgery to treat your diabetes, one of the following operations may help:

• Gastric Sleeve: In this surgery, which is also called a sleeve gastrectomy, a portion of the stomach is removed to form a sleeve, reducing the amount of food it takes to fill you up. In addition to losing about half of excess weight, about 60% of patients show no signs of diabetes after the operation.
• Adjustable Gastric Band: An inflatable band placed around the top of the stomach forms the stomach into a small pouch. This operation can treat diabetes, though the success rate is a bit lower than other surgeries (about 45% to 60% success rate). The placement of an adjustable gastric band is less prone to complications than other operations, so this may be the best option for you.
• Gastric Bypass: This operation removes a portion of the stomach and reroutes the intestine to bypass the duodenum (top part of the small intestine), thereby limiting food intake and reducing the calories you absorb. About 80% of patients have no signs of diabetes after this operation, and you can lose up to 80% of your excess weight as well.

If you have tried losing weight and been unsuccessful, have a BMI of 35 or more, and have type II diabetes, bariatric surgery may be right for you. In order to learn more about options available for you and find out if you qualify for bariatric surgery, contact Dr. Malladi at Malladi Bariatrics and Advanced Surgery.