Experts in obesity treatment have been observing over a period of several years now that, surprisingly, the levels of blood sugar become normalised in some obese patients after having gone through a bariatric surgery procedure.
In a recent study on patients with type-2 diabetes, remissions of up to 15 years after surgery were observed in 30% of patients who had had the surgical procedure, as opposed to only 7% of patients who had managed to control their levels via pharmacological treatment and change of lifestyle habits (healthy diet and exercise).
Nevertheless, experts agree that it should not be considered as a solution to diabetes as it is an expensive way to treat the illness and is not without risks. Recovery from this type of operation takes at least two weeks and involves certain side effects which, in some cases, can prove critical.
It appears, however, to be a life saver for a certain number of obese patients with type-2 diabetes:-
- Those who have systematically failed in their attempt to lose weight through traditional methods.
- Those with very serious problems in dealing with the control of their diabetes.
- Those obese patients whose diabetes has been diagnosed less than 4 years ago.
However, even in these cases, experts point out that bariatric surgery should never be the first type of treatment a patient tries; and, in the case of doing so, it should always be linked with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
