Bariatric Surgery - A Cure for Diabetes?

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The September 18, 2008 medical newspaper Endocrine Today had on their front page, Bariatric Surgery – a cure for diabetes?

I have been involved with people needing to consider this type of surgery for their diabetes and other severe problems relating to their metabolism since 1965. The initial success in the first year has again given many people a reason to consider that new technology and understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetes might get better success that in the past.

I get to see people in their second year after surgery. Many have new metabolic problems in the area of vitamins (especially vitamin D) and most dreaded of all, the return of diabetes and weight gain.

The Chief Medical Editor of this publication, Alan Garber, MD included his perspective at the end of the article noting the durability of the antidiabetic effect remains uncertain. He noted the observation that when diabetes is diagnosed there is a progressive loss of beta cells, the cells that produce insulin. Thus in my experience as well as Alan’s, we have only delayed diabetes, not denied its presence.