Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when cells do not react to insulin correctly. While there are many options for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, weight loss surgery may be able to help you take control of your life. In this article, we will discuss the same.
Does weight loss surgery cure type 2 diabetes?
Weight loss surgery may resolve type 2 diabetes. Obesity is a known risk factor for both prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Weight loss surgery, in combination with lifestyle changes, may truly reverse the progression of type 2 diabetes if obesity was not too severe at diagnosis; that is if serum glucose levels were still more or less normal (under 200 mg/dL).
Learn more: Which Types of Weight Loss Surgery Procedure Are Right for You?
How does weight loss surgery cure type 2 diabetes?
Weight loss surgery, in particular gastric bypass procedures (the most commonly performed is the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass), results in higher remission rates of type 2 diabetes than diet or exercise alone. Remission of type 2 diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels return to normal, as observed two years after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. The mechanism behind this relates to the anatomical changes caused by the surgery itself: namely, a smaller gastric pouch and a narrow passage between the pouch and first part of the small intestine (the duodenum) limits the amount of food that can be eaten at one time.
Weight loss surgery may resolve type 2 diabetes by limiting the amount of food that can be eaten at once, thus resulting in better blood sugar balance. This does not mean weight loss surgery is for everyone with type 2 diabetes; it remains an effective last resort for those who have not achieved adequate control through diet, exercise, and/or oral medication.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes, including increased thirst and urination, which are often thought to be diseases in their own right (diabetes mellitus), may actually resolve with weight loss surgery. This is especially true if obesity was the root cause of prediabetic conditions rather than other risk factors such as family history. Many patients have shown Diabetes Remission. Remission means a return to normal blood sugar levels and no need for diabetes medications.
It is important to remember that just because weight loss surgery helps some people with diabetes doesn’t mean it will work for you. If you are struggling with your obesity alongside Type 2 Diabetes and have not found any relief from other treatments, talk to your surgeon during the first consultation for Weight Loss Surgery in West Texas about whether or not this option might help improve the quality of life for both you and those around you.
