Bariatric Surgery: A Lifesaver for Type-2 Diabetes Patients

Published on December 22 , 2017 | 3 Minutes to Read

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Diabetes, one of the major reasons of obesity worldwide, will be the world’s seventh largest killer by 2030. In 2015, there were approximately 415 million patients with diabetes, and the number is expected to increase to 642 million by 2040. If we talk about Australia, obesity is a widely prevalent problem.

What’s worth noting here is that the condition increases the risk of the individual developing type-2 diabetes (T2D), which if left unmanaged, may lead to graver problems such as blindness, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. This is when bariatric surgery comes in as a possible solution.Bariatric surgery has a profound effect on T2D, and it is not uncommon for a patient to come off all the medication, post-surgery. The blog talks about T2D and whether you should undergo the procedure at a center for bariatric surgery in Perth or any other clinic in Australia.

Bariatric Surgery and Type-2 Diabetes Reversal

Many people perceive that weight loss surgery or Metabolic Surgery is a risky way to treat T2D, but many studies suggest it to be a more successful procedure than bringing drugs and lifestyle changes in the patient. Although diabetes is considered a chronic and relentless disease with delay of end-organ complication as the major goal of the treatment, Metabolic surgery may even lead to complete remission of the disease.

Qualifications for the Procedure

In a major study 30 percent of people with T2D were in remission for 15 years post-surgery, while only 7 percent were in remission after introducing drugs and lifestyle changes. The surgery is prescribed to those who:

• Are unable to lose weight with traditional methods
• Have a trouble managing their diabetes with increasing doses of medications.
• Most Type 2 diabetics who have been diabetic for less than 5- 7 years have a very high chance of remission and completely going off all medications.

Pros and Cons

Bariatric surgery, which is perceived to be a weight-loss operation, is actually a metabolic operation. Individuals undergoing the surgery need to introduce changes in their lifestyle such as exercise and a healthier diet to get the desired results post the procedure. Bariatric surgery works well only if the patient follows the strict routine.

One of the disadvantages of the surgery is that even if an individual loses 40 kilograms, T2D is unlikely to go into remission, if the disease was present for over 5-7 years. The reason is beta cells (cells in pancreas) responsible for making insulin die off over the time, and it is not possible to replace them. Individuals who have lost a large number of beta cells, might not get similar benefits as compared to those who still have them in plenty. Hence it is necessary for medical practitioners to realise this fact and refer patients to a Bariatric/ Metabolic surgeon sooner rather than later.

Last Few Words

Obesity contributes to non-communicable diseases, reduced life-expectancy, and impaired quality of life. Therefore, it is important to seek professional help as soon as you see the weighing scale tipping beyond the permissible mark. We, at Perth Surgical & Bariatrics, are committed to providing a healthy life to patients fighting morbid obesity issues and are ideally placed to administer all possible treatment options. If you have any question about weight loss procedures, feel free to reach us at 0865581901 for a no-obligation consultation.