• The risk of developing microvascular diabetic complications was 4-fold reduced in patients with type 2 diabetes undergoing surgery compared with patients with current guideline-based medical therapy.
• Pre-existing diabetic nephropathy was strongly improved by surgery compared with medical treatment.
• The likelihood of improvement or remission in patients with diabetes-related kidney damage was 15-times higher after surgery compared with current medical therapy.

"Medical therapy for type 2 diabetes seems to have reached its limitations, even with the newly available drugs. Metabolic surgery strongly reduces the risk for diabetes-associated complications and seems even to improve existing diabetic kidney damage in 1 out of 2 operated patients," said lead author Dr. Adrian Billeter, of the University of Heidelberg, in Germany.

"Such strong and reliable effects, especially on very difficult-to-treat diabetic kidney damage, are not even remotely possible with the current medical therapy," added senior author Prof. Beat Muller-Stich, also of the University of Heidelberg.

Source: Eurekalert