Weight Loss Surgery for Diabetics
By Rosemary Black
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board
Reviewed by QualityHealth's Medical Advisory Board
If you're overweight and just can't seem to shed the unwanted pounds, you may be wondering whether surgery could be helpful in your quest to lose weight and get your blood sugar back in the normal range. Before you make a decision, weigh all the options. Many choices are available today to diabetics who opt for weight loss surgery, each with pros and cons.
Here's a rundown of what surgical options are out there. For each, the success rate means how many patients successfully lost and kept off the weight over time.
Gastric bypass surgery: The procedure involves stapling the stomach, creating a little pouch and a passageway for the food to bypass part of the small intestine.
This is the "gold standard" of weight loss surgeries, says Vadim Sherman, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. The success rate is high, about 70 to 80 percent of patients who have gastric bypass surgery continue to keep off the weight for 20 to 30 years, he says. Sherman says gastric bypass "has been shown to be the only surgery to resolve diabetes before any weight loss has even occurred." And, he adds, sometimes he sees patients have normal blood sugars even before they leave the hospital.
Gastric band surgery, (also known as Lap-Band adjustable gastric banding): This option is often a good choice for a recently diagnosed diabetic, says Mitchell Roslin, MD, chief of bariatric surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, New York.
To perform this, an inflatable band is put into place and divides the stomach into two parts as it wraps around the upper part. Once pulled tight, the band restricts the amount of food a person can eat. "We put a belt on the stomach that has a balloon inside and the balloon squeezes the stomach," Roslin explains. While it's simpler than the other surgeries and has a lower rate of complications, it's not as effective.
Individuals who have the gastric band surgery tend to lose less weight and to lose it more slowly than those who have the more radical procedures. The success rate is about 50 to 60 percent, Roslin says. This procedure also has the highest reoperation rate, he adds.
Here's a rundown of what surgical options are out there. For each, the success rate means how many patients successfully lost and kept off the weight over time.
Gastric bypass surgery: The procedure involves stapling the stomach, creating a little pouch and a passageway for the food to bypass part of the small intestine.
This is the "gold standard" of weight loss surgeries, says Vadim Sherman, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. The success rate is high, about 70 to 80 percent of patients who have gastric bypass surgery continue to keep off the weight for 20 to 30 years, he says. Sherman says gastric bypass "has been shown to be the only surgery to resolve diabetes before any weight loss has even occurred." And, he adds, sometimes he sees patients have normal blood sugars even before they leave the hospital.
Gastric band surgery, (also known as Lap-Band adjustable gastric banding): This option is often a good choice for a recently diagnosed diabetic, says Mitchell Roslin, MD, chief of bariatric surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, New York.
To perform this, an inflatable band is put into place and divides the stomach into two parts as it wraps around the upper part. Once pulled tight, the band restricts the amount of food a person can eat. "We put a belt on the stomach that has a balloon inside and the balloon squeezes the stomach," Roslin explains. While it's simpler than the other surgeries and has a lower rate of complications, it's not as effective.
Individuals who have the gastric band surgery tend to lose less weight and to lose it more slowly than those who have the more radical procedures. The success rate is about 50 to 60 percent, Roslin says. This procedure also has the highest reoperation rate, he adds.
Updated: January 11, 2011
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