Bariatric surgery was originally developed by Dr. Edward E. Mason in 1967, at the University of Iowa. Today’s procedures are still rotted in his ideas, but they have changed a lot, making them far more effective. There are now two types of surgery that are particularly popular, being the lap band and the gastric bypass.
The Gastric Bypass
With this procedure, the size of the stomach is shrunk to the size of around a thumb. Additionally, it shortens the length of the small intestine. This means the body cannot absorb as many calories.
The Lap Band
During lap band surgery, a belt filled with a saline solution is wrapped around the stomach. It can be tightened or loosened as require. The stomach is cinched and thereby made to feel full. In so doing, people eat less and start to lose weight.
Statistics on Bariatric Surgery
In 2010, the University of California stated that the gastric bypass was 2008’s top ranked general procedure, as well as second of all procedures.
Surgeons average 18.2 gastric bypass procedures per year, and 11.9 lap band procedures.
Can Bariatric Surgery Cure Type 2 Diabetes?
A lot of medical professionals now believe that bariatric surgery may be the cure for type 2 diabetes, or at the very least a good form of treatment. Some 23.6 million people in this country, equating to 7.8% of the population, have this disease and the link between type 2 diabetes and obesity has long been established. If weight is reduced by around 10%, type 2 diabetes can be properly managed or even sent into remission. Yet, there continues to be 8% yearly rise in the number of people who are diagnosed with diabetes.
Some 600 different studies were recently analyzed, and it was found that 78% of diabetics who had bariatric surgery would no longer have any related symptoms. Additionally, it was found that the gastric bypass was more effective at completely eliminating type 2 diabetes than the lap band. Furthermore, it was found that blood sugar level improvements were noticed much quicker in people who had surgery to lose weight, than in those who lost it in a different way. As a result, the American Diabetes Association now recommends the surgery to treat those who have type 2 diabetes and are severely obese.
It has also been found that, when people have bariatric surgery, health care costs related to diabetes also start to drop. The Johns Hopkins University recently completed a study that showed that people who had type 2 diabetes and were given bariatric surgery would see the cost of their diabetes treatment drop by 70% within three years of having the procedure. This means that, while surgery is expensive, it does place less of a strain on the overall health care system, as diabetes medication and treatment is far more expensive. Improvements, as such, are noted not just one someone’s personal life, but also on the financial health of the nation.