Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States and other industrialized nations. Diabetes is characterized by difficulty maintaining blood glucose within the desirable range. There are two type of diabetes, known simply as Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your pancreas is no longer able to make the hormone insulin required for normal glucose metabolism. If you have Type 1 diabetes, you often experience weight loss because you are unable to absorb and utilize blood glucose. Type 2 diabetes can occur in two ways: your cells can become resistant to the insulin your body produces or they can produce too little insulin to meet your needs. Usually, people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight and, in fact, being chronically overweight can sometimes promote development of this condition. The amount of excess weight that triggers Type 2 diabetes is difficult to predict, but risk of developing this condition increases with your weight.

Left untreated or poorly managed, the chronically elevated levels of blood sugar that accompany both types of diabetes can damage the lining of your blood vessels and lead to serious circulatory problems. Ultimately, poor circulation can lead to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, or require amputation of fingers, toes, and even limbs to prevent the spread of dead and decaying tissue.

Although blood sugar levels can be lowered with various medications, weight loss is one of the best treatments for Type 2 diabetes. Weight loss surgery has an excellent history of reversing Type 2 diabetes. Research shows that patients who undergo bariatric surgery often experience significant decreases in their blood sugar levels within days of their operation. Some studies suggest that two-thirds of people with Type 2 diabetes who undergo bariatric surgery experience complete remission of diabetic symptoms, and the remaining one-third significantly decrease the amount of medication they need to control their blood sugar levels.

However, the circulatory damage that can accompany diabetes can complicate wound healing and slow post-surgical recovery. If you have Type 2 diabetes, your surgeon will take this and other factors into account when choosing the weight loss surgery procedure that is best for you.