Metabolic Surgery
What Is Metabolic Surgery?
It is a surgical procedure that has proven highly effective in controlling type 2 diabetes and improving or resolving associated metabolic conditions.
It involves the use of bariatric surgery techniques in patients with mild, moderate, or severe obesity who have type 2 diabetes and, despite appropriate medical treatment—including medication, nutrition, and exercise—are unable to achieve optimal blood glucose control.
Who Can Undergo This Procedure?
Candidates Include Patients With:
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A Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
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A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, or another metabolic condition.
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Poor metabolic control despite conventional medical treatment.
What Does Metabolic Surgery Involve?
The most commonly used procedures are gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, both performed laparoscopically through a minimally invasive approach that requires only small abdominal incisions.
In metabolic surgery, the primary goal is not weight loss, but the treatment of diabetes and other metabolic disorders through the hormonal and metabolic changes triggered by the procedure.
How Does Metabolic Surgery Affect Diabetes?
After surgery, food reaches the intestine more quickly and in a less digested state, stimulating the release of hormones that enhance insulin production and improve its effectiveness. In addition, the reduction in body fat significantly improves insulin resistance.
More than 70% of patients experience a significant improvement in blood glucose levels within the weeks following surgery. As weight loss progresses, these results are often sustained, and in some cases, patients may be able to reduce or discontinue diabetes medications under medical supervision.
The procedure can also help improve other risk factors, such as high cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and hypertension, contributing to better overall health.