Surgery for diabetes control
The following is a message from surgeon Dr. Adam Smith regarding the efficacy of bariatric surgery in the treatment of diabetes in addition to weight loss.
by Dr. Adam Smith, Ultimate Bariatrics surgeon and Lap-Band patient
The STAMPETE (Surgical Therapy and Medications Potentially Eradicate Diabetes Efficiently) trial results are in.This is the largest single center randomized trial comparing medical therapy to bariatric surgery performed at the Cleveland Clinic.150 patients were randomized to medical therapy alone versus surgical therapy with Sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
The patients were followed for three years. The conclusion was among patients with obesity and poorly controlled type II diabetes that surgery resulted in better glycemic (blood sugar) control than medical therapy.
Those of us in private practice have made this observation for several years, but, yet surgery still remains a last resort for too many of our patients.
We see many folks getting rid of their diabetes medication in the first few weeks or even days after their operation.
It is important to spread the word that we can take on diabetes head on with our surgical options.
