I was reading through this article on Endocrine Today and thought it could be of interest to folks with type 2.
“Surgical control of type 2 diabetes, although not the current standard of care for the disease, may be coming closer to the mainstream. The surgical treatment of obesity is associated with the subsequent resolution of type 2 diabetes, according to a meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This widely reported result has prompted researchers to consider surgery a treatment modality for diabetes. Others have gone a controversial step further and suggested that type 2 diabetes, independent of obesity, is an operable disease.”
I know several people who have had bariatric surgery…Either aquiantences at work , and one a very good friend another a friend of her…I would have to say that in my oipinion, Bariatic Surgery is an extreme thing. Only to be considered if dire need is there.
Almost eveyrone I know has had many issues since, ea different scenereos but all attributed to the surgery by ther physicians.
Another less drastic type of surgery would be the lap band procedure…You donot risk the extremes that come from possible vitamin difficiences.
I attended a course for diabetes mangament in adults,run by the best diabetologist in our country.One of his patient,21 y old,was insulin resistance 100kg,because of fast food and sedentary life style.He was inspired to lose slowly the gained weight,he lost his diabetes and come in courses to inspire physcians to help their patients.
We have beriatric surgery in our hospial and it is getting popular,but it is not done yet to get rid of diabetes.
What Debb said is very important: even if it helps people improve their control, that is not the same as a CURE for diabetes. The media often uses such sloppy language in reporting on this topic – and I think there’s great potential for harm in that.
I’m not necessarily opposed to surgery – three friends have had it (two gastric bypass, one lapband) and in at least one case I really think it saved his life. Still, it’s not a “quick fix” by any means.
The article touched on my two main concerns: 1) that people will try to get surgery without first at least trying to make the hard lifestyle changes that can really make all the difference for many people (not all people, I know), and 2) that surgery (which after all generates a LOT of money for the healthcare industry) will come to be seen as the treatment of choice, rather than as a last resort after other approaches have failed.
Also, 3) that people will be left with the impression that diabetes can be cured with surgery, and start to believe that the disease is no big deal, nothing to worry about (or fund research for).
Good luck to you Debb – I’ll be sending good thoughts your way.
