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Research shows that obesity may be a significant contributing factor to the development of diabetes. Aside from being classified as a chronic progressive illness that can lead to life-threatening complications, living with diabetes can feel overwhelming for individuals. Some may lose hope in regaining normalcy in their daily routine and weight loss—which is essential to control the progression of the disease—can seem like a lost cause.

While the obesity epidemic has not slowed down, science has been able to help those suffering from diabetes regain their health, confidence, and a sense of normality back into their daily routine.

Many of our patients struggle with these feelings and choose bariatric surgery as a tool to help them become the happier and healthier person they were before diabetes became a part of their lives. In fact, when patients are asked what their main motivation to lose weight is, we often hear patients reply, “to improve my diabetic control.”

Effectively treating obesity could lead to significant improvement, and in many cases, remission of diabetes. With the technology available today, we can end the painful journey with diabetes for many of our patients with a minimally invasive bariatric surgery. A one-hour operation can end many years of suffering. In fact, in one particular study, researchers followed a group of diabetic patients for 5 years. In those who underwent bariatric surgery, 88% were able to achieve normal to acceptable hemoglobin levels. In addition, their triglyceride levels, cholesterol, and blood pressure showed significant improvement.  Comparatively, 5% of the diabetic patients, treated with medication only, had no sign of diabetes. With these statistics in mind, there is a critical role for bariatric surgery in the treatment of diabetes. Most importantly, these statistics show that there is hope and that weight loss is not a lost cause (Schauer, et al., 2017).

Who Are Good Candidates?

Patients may feel a little nervous for their first appointment with Dr. Lutfi, but it is also important to remember that it can be the beginning of an exciting journey! Dr. Lutfi and his comprehensive staff will perform a thorough examination to determine if the patient is physically and emotionally ready for the major changes necessary to undergo bariatric surgery. Dr. Lutfi leads a team of experts who will touch every aspect of your life. The dietitian, psychologist, and multiple nurses will discuss the necessary dietary, behavioral, emotional, social, and medical aspects. Their philosophy is that while surgery is the most important step, it is only a piece of the puzzle that will be put together with our team towards building a healthier you. Dr. Lutfi may contact the primary care physician as well as other doctors a part of your care team, to ensure the procedure will be safe and productive.

Different Weight Loss Surgery Options

When it comes to bariatric surgery, Dr. Lutfi understands that the same procedure isn’t ideal for every individual.  There are multiple weight loss surgery options ranging from shrinking stomach volume to changing the process in which your body absorbs calories and sugar. Some procedures do both. Here are the different options that can help patients reach their goals:

Gastric Sleeve

Here, Dr. Lutfi will remove the portion of the stomach that stores excess food. In this way, the patient feels fuller with less food intake. The operation also lowers ghrelin products, the hormone that promotes hunger. One study showed that after surgery, over half (53%) of patients had complete remission of diabetes after gastric sleeve surgery (Lee, et al., 2015).

Gastric Bypass

In this procedure, Dr. Lutfi creates a small pouch by dividing the stomach and isolating the top portion. When the patient eats, food travels to the small pouch, bypassing the top part of the small intestine.  The patient will experience a fuller feeling with less food intake.

This surgery has had great results. One meta-analysis showed that patients lost two-thirds of their excess weight after gastric bypass. The same meta-analysis also showed that over 75% of patients in a collection of studies showed no symptoms of diabetes after surgery (Buchwald, Avidor, & Braunwald, 2005).

Duodenal Switch

Duodenal switch incorporates two effective bariatric surgery techniques: restriction and malabsorption.  Essentially, it is a combination of gastric bypass and gastric sleeve surgery. During a duodenal switch, Dr. Lufti will remove the portion of the stomach where food is stored and reroute the intestine to cause significant reduction in the amount of calories and sugars absorbed into the body.

This surgery has been shown to be very effective against obesity and coinciding health conditions. One study revealed that a duodenal switch results in remission of diabetes in 95% of patients (Mingrone et al., 2012).

In Conclusion

The benefits of bariatric surgery far outweigh the risks. When it comes to effective and healthy weight loss, the preferred method is diet and exercise. However, for those struggling with obesity, diet and exercise may not be enough to lose excess weight, keep it off, and reverse diseases such as diabetes.

If you’re ready for a healthy body and peace of mind, our team will be with you every step of the way.

References

Buchwald, H., Avidor, Y., & Braunwald, E. (2005). Bariatric surgery. A systematic review and meta-analysis. ACC Current Journal Review, 14(1), 13. doi:10.1016/j.accreview.2004.12.068

Lee, W., Almulaifi, A., Tsou, J. J., Ser, K., Lee, Y., & Chen, S. (2015). Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy for type 2 diabetes mellitus: predicting the success by ABCD score. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, 11(5), 991-996. doi:10.1016/j.soard.2014.12.027

Mingrone, G., Panunzi, S., De Gaetano, A., Guidone, C., Laconelli, A., Leccesi, L., …& Rubino, F. (2012). Bariatric surgery versus conventional medical therapy for type 2 diabetes. New England Journal of Medicine, 366(17), 1577-1585

N (n.d.). Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults: The evidence report. PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi:10.1037/e565682010-001

Schauer, P. R., Bhatt, D. L., Kirwan, J. P., Wolski, K., Aminian, A., Brethauer, S. A., . . . Kashyap, S. R. (2017). Bariatric Surgery versus Intensive Medical Therapy for Diabetes — 5-Year Outcomes. New England Journal of Medicine, 376(7), 641-651. doi:10.1056/nejmoa