Weight-Loss Surgery: Effective Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes is common: about 1 in 10 Americans lives with the disease.
Diabetes is expensive: those affected spend 2.3 times more on health expenditures.
Diabetes is deadly: in the United States, it is one of the 10 leading causes of heard. Worldwide, someone dies from complications associated with diabetes every 10 seconds.
Type 2 diabetes can be resolved: weight-loss surgery has been recognized as an effective treatment that improves or resolves most patients’ cases!
Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus is a condition that affects insulin, a hormone created in the pancreas that allows glucose (a simple sugar) to enter cells. There are two forms of this disease: type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 diabetes is actually an autoimmune condition, often beginning in childhood, in which the immune system attacks the pancreas and prevents it from producing insulin. Those afflicted receive insulin injections as a result—they still need the hormone, they just can’t produce it themselves.
Type 2 is unique because the body still produces insulin but can not use it correctly, ultimately resulting in an “insulin resistance”. In trying to compensate for ineffective insulin use, the body generates more and more. As production increases, the resistance builds up, rendering insulin ineffective in the natural process of regulating blood sugar.
Living With Type 2 Diabetes — Symptoms and Complications
While some cases of type 2 diabetes can be controlled with oral medication and dietary changes for some, failing to maintain healthy blood sugar levels can cause both short- and long-term damage.
This condition often develops gradually, with symptoms that may go unnoticed. Some of the early signs include:
- Frequent Urination
- Extreme Thirst and Hunger
- Exhaustion
- Tingling, Numbness, or Pain in the Hands and Feet
Combine a slow-growing insulin resistance with easily mistakable symptoms and it is possible to go many months or even years after developing high blood sugar before being properly diagnosed.
Living with diabetes requires you to carefully monitor your blood sugar levels in order to prevent complications. Diabetics must carefully choose what to eat, exercise regularly, and often take medication.
Early diagnosis is critical— the longer a patient’s blood sugar goes unmonitored and uncontrolled, the more time they have to develop a dangerous condition. If you have a family history of this disease or suffer from overweight or obesity, you are at a greater risk for developing it yourself. Age, prediabetes, and physical activity can also be risk factors.
Short-term side effects are most commonly caused by hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Some of these include:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sweating
- Anxiety
- Headaches
- Numbness in fingers, toes, and lips
However, the long-term complications of type 2 diabetes need to be closely monitored, as they can seriously damage the body. Blood vessels are particularly vulnerable to the long-term impacts and, when damaged, can lead to:
- Plaque buildup, which blocks off vessels and can lead to a heart attack or stroke
- Cataracts or Retinopathy, which can cause vision loss
- Kidney disease, which can lead to dialysis or kidney failure
- Nerve damage, which can cause patients to develop infections they don’t feel or notice
How to Treat Type 2 Diabetes
Although many Americans already suffer from type 2 diabetes, there are ways to both prevent it and reduce symptoms and complications. Healthy eating, exercise, and medication can control blood sugar levels when combined close, careful monitoring.
Weight-loss surgery is also officially recognized as a treatment by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). In fact, it’s the most effective treatment for type 2 diabetes in individuals affected by obesity!
The numbers speak for themselves—studies show that bariatric surgery improves type 2 diabetes in nearly 90% of patients, while 78% saw it resolve completely without the need to keep taking medication. Click here to learn more.
Beyond being the most effective way to lose weight and live healthier, weight-loss surgery gives patients a chance to completely change their lives. In fact, many patients have told us that their only regret is not having surgery sooner!
Is weight-loss surgery the right choice for YOU? Schedule a consultation today.
COME TO NYBG.
When it’s time to start a successful weight-loss journey, it’s time to call NYBG! We’re the most advanced practice offering the most up-to-date procedures and our numbers prove it:
- 13 skilled surgeons who are leaders in bariatrics
- 15,000 successful procedures performed with more every day
- The #1 gastric balloon practice by volume – most balloons placed in the United States
- 24/7 access to online seminars
- 100s of videos for patients explaining procedures, answering common questions, and showcasing previous patients
- Multiple offices located in three states; NY, NJ, CT
- Since 2000, we boast 18 years of success!
Our commitment to patient success and excellence has earned us accreditation from the Metabolic Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP). This prestigious achievement recognizes only the top bariatric practices. Stop waiting; start achieving better health today.
