Bariatric
surgery is an umbrella term. It encompasses several weight-loss surgeries. It
is an expensive surgery recommended only for patients with a body mass index
greater than 30 and is considered when all other interventions have failed.
Diabetes at the same time is a debilitating and expensive disease affecting
millions.
In
a recent study it
was found that nearly 3 out of 4 patients were able to stop taking their insulin and
other diabetes medications within six months of surgery. The surgery thus
appeared to be a cost-effective option, reducing health care costs.
Bariatric
surgery employs various strategies like making the stomach smaller by stapling
part of it shut; restricting a portion of the stomach using bands; removing
part of the small intestine to reduce the absorption of calories. The exact
mechanism by which the surgery cuts down type 2 diabetes is unclear.
The study doesn't mean
that the surgery is the new mantra for curing diabetes. The
indications for bariatric surgery are limited. As already mentioned, it is
tried out only when every other method to shed kilos has failed. The expensive
procedure also carries its own set of possible risks. These include bleeding,
infection and leaks from sites where body tissues are sewn or stapled together,
and blood
clots in
the legs that may travel to the heart, malnutrition, regaining weight.
The impact of bariatric
surgery on type 2 diabetes in obese patients is impressive. But nothing is
conclusive at this point of time. The study had many limitations.
It was not a specific one targeting to know the result of a surgery done
exclusively for curing diabetes. Rather, the evidence comes from diabetic
patients who have undergone bariatric surgery primarily for other reasons.
It
is possible that bariatric surgery might have a superior long-term effect on
diabetes-specific end points and treatments but at present the data is
insufficient for such a conclusion..
Authors
rightly conclude that it would be premature to recommend bariatric surgery on a
large scale purely as a treatment for diabetes.
Sources:
Archives of
Surgery
The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases
Medscape
Source: Medindia
Careers
