Diabetes develops when the body does not make enough insulin, cannot use insulin properly, or both causes glucose to accumulate in the blood. Diabetes, defined as high blood sugar, is a disorder of metabolism, that is, the way the body uses digested food for growth and energy. If left unchecked, diabetes can be life-threatening and associated with long-term complications that can affect every system or part of the body. Diabetes is classified into different types for various reasons. Type 2 diabetes is the most common of the disease, representing 80% to 90% of diabetes cases worldwide.
Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity
Type 2 diabetes can cause eye defects and blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputation and nerve damage. It can also affect birth defects during pregnancy.
Why Should I Have Diabetes Surgery?
For most people who are overweight or obese but are not terminally obese, diet and exercise are often the best and safest ways to reduce weight and health risks. It is known that the risks of bariatric surgery outweigh the risk of future medical problems and premature death. However, for overweight men or women, bariatric or weight loss surgery has been shown to be the most effective treatment. For a person who is morbidly obese or obese with at least one comorbidity, such as Type 2 diabetes, there is a higher risk of worsening health problems or premature death, so the risk of bariatric surgery is justified. Nonsurgical treatments such as diet modification, exercise programs, medications, and social support programs are generally ineffective in the treatment of severe obesity, regardless of the approach used, with recurrence rates of up to 90%. Many may lose weight temporarily, but may regain weight later on. Because obesity is a chronic condition that is difficult to treat through diet and exercise alone, bariatric or weight loss surgery is an option for people who are severely obese and unable to lose weight with conventional methods or have severe Type 2 diabetes. For obese patients with high normal blood sugar or pre-diabetic, bariatric surgery can reduce or eliminate the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. For people with Type 2 diabetes already, surgery can significantly reduce its severity and, in some cases, treat the diabetes person.