Diabetes cured by Surgery to Treat Obese

Weight-loss surgery works much better than standard medical therapy as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes in obese people, the first study to compare the two approaches has found.

The study, of 60 patients, showed that 73 percent of those who had surgery had complete remissions of diabetes, meaning all signs of the disease went away. By contrast, the remission rate was only 13 percent in those given conventional treatment, which included intensive counseling on diet and exercise for weight loss, and, when needed, diabetes medicines like insulin, metformin and other drugs.

In the study, the surgery worked better because patients who had it lost much more weight than the medically treated group did — 20.7 percent versus 1.7 percent of their body weight, on average. Type 2 diabetes is usually brought on by obesity, and patients can often lessen the severity of the disease, or even get rid of it entirely, by losing about 10 percent of their body weight. Though many people can lose that much weight, few can keep it off without surgery. Type 1 diabetes, a much less common form of the disease, involves the immune system and is not linked to obesity.

Remission of Type 2 diabetes after weight-loss surgery is not a new finding; doctors have known about it for years. But the new research is the first effort to find out scientifically how it measures up against medical treatment in similar groups of patients with the disease.

The 60 people in the study had an average age of 47 and were assigned at random to have either surgery or medical care. All were obese, with a body mass index, or B.M.I., of 30 to 40. A B.M.I. over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese. (A person who is 5 feet 6 inches tall with a B.M.I. of 25 would weigh 155 pounds; with a B.M.I. of 30, 186 pounds; a B.M.I. of 35, 216 pounds; and a B.M.I. of 40, 247 pounds.)

Based on guidelines created by the National Institutes of Health in 1991, weight-loss surgery is generally only recommended for people whose B.M.I. is 40 or more, unless they also have Type 2 diabetes, in which case a B.M.I. of 35 is the cutoff. In this study, 13 people, or 22 percent, had a B.M.I. under 35.

Criteria for the surgery might be changed so that it could be offered to diabetes patients early enough to reverse the disease.

Considering Obesity Surgery in Brazil? Question 3

Do you have a serious medical condition?
Any major surgery involves the potential for complications - adverse events which increase risk, hospital stay, and mortality. Some complications are common to all abdominal operations, while some are specific to bariatric surgery. A person who chooses to undergo bariatric surgery should know about these risks. Some people with serious heart or lung conditions may not be a good candidate for surgery. You can read a lot more about possible complications here

Americans Opting For Weight Loss Surgery In Brazil

Weight loss surgery is gaining popularity with Americans. Weight loss or also called bariatric surgery is meant for obese people with serious medical conditions related to their weight. The most common form of this surgery is gastric bypass surgery.

According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality one of the reasons of the extremely dramatic increases is that the mortality risks from obesity surgery have improved greatly. The national death rate for patients hospitalized for bariatric surgery declined 78 percent, from 0.9 percent in 1998 to 0.2 percent in 2004. Laparoscopic weight loss surgery has the lowest mortality risks.

Data collected from Embratur (the Brazil Governmental Agency for developing national tourism) indicate that about 40 thousand out of the foreign visitors who came to Brazil came for medical purposes last year.

A group of Brazilian health care providers, which includes hospitals, created even an health consortium in order to comply with the foreign demand. Many health clinics in Brazil offer medical services to foreigners.

During an interview with Gringoes, Dr. Roberto Rizzi of Franco e Rizzi remarked that the cost of obesity surgery is significantly lower in Brazil than in many other countries. Also the quality and reputation of surgeons in Brazil makes many foreigners decide to come to Brazil for this procedure. Dr. Rizzi has patients from USA, China, Mozambique and other countries for these reasons.

Brazilian professionals keep a strong exchange with international medicine, attending international congresses and participating in study groups. This gives a very good image of the Brazilian medicine overseas, and brings everyday more foreign visitors to for medical treatment to Brazil.

Overweight a matter of social ridicule?

Not only is being overweight a matter of social ridicule, but it is also a very dangerous proposition health-wise. Obesity is an open invitation for at least six of the most terrible diseases known to man: diabetes, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular problems, paralysis, gangrene and heart attacks. Hence obesity may not considered itself be a disease, but it could definitely be a serious life-threatening condition.

Bariatric Surgery might be a solution. Bariatric surgery is a term derived from the Greek words: ''weight'' and ''treatment.'' Bariatric surgery is not an easy option for overweight sufferers. It is a drastic step, and carries the usual pain and risks of any major gastrointestinal surgical operation.

In general, in order to qualify for bariatric surgery you must be 'morbidly obese', which usually means being overweight by 100 pounds (man) or 80 pounds (woman) with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40+. Affordable weight loss surgery is available in Brazil. Check: www.robertorizzi.com The website contains a lot of information on weight loss surgery.