City docs now confident that medical procedure can cause remission of type II diabetes
City docs now confident that medical procedure can cause remission of type II diabetes
MEDICAL research has concluded that bariatric surgery or obesity surgery can eliminate the need for insulin or oral hypoglycemic tablets in people with type II or adult onset diabetes. Mumbai's doctors are steadily catching on to the trend.
"Recent studies have shown that certain intestinal hormones have an effect on our blood sugar levels and the alteration of these hormones can help diabetes. This alteration can be brought about through bariatric surgery. A method called Illeal tranposition causes lesser weight loss than other methods and remission of diabetes," said Dr Abhay Agrawal, MS, laprocopic surgery, who runs the bariatric surgery department at Asian Heart Institute. He also added that now 10 per cent of his surgeries are primarily more to cure diabetes than obesity.
About 40 million people suffer from diabetes in India out of which 85 per cent suffer from type II diabetes.
Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, a pioneer in obesity surgeries, says, "A medical journal had published an article on how a surgery for ulcer disease could be a cure for adult onset diabetes. But no one took much notice of it and non-surgical treatment of the ailment surpassed the surgical method. In 1995, an American, Walter Pories, wrote in a medical journal that bariatric surgery cures diabetes. A lot of research was done on the same and this year the American Diabetes Association has accepted this surgery as a remedy for diabetes. Every week I get three cases of people wanting to go in for the operation as a remedy for diabetes."
Dr Shashank Shah, chief bariatric surgeon, Hiranandani hospital said that he doesn't call it a "cure" but it has been found to bring about remission of diabetes or brings improvement in a diabetic patient's life. "Remission of diabetes is seen within a week after the surgery. The link between intestinal hormones and the control of blood sugar is yet to be studied," said Dr Shah who is addressing a conference on the same for the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric surgery on June 23. "99 per cent diabetic patients under me have seen remission from diabetes, which is around 250 of 400-odd patients I have operated on," said Dr Shah
'No more diabetes'
Sunita Chabra (49), a tutor, underwent the surgery in 2007. She said, "I found it hard to believe that diabetes would go after the operation. I have a strict diet given by the doctor, but I do safely cheat and have a rasgulla sometimes."u00a0
Ahmed Ibrahim Bora (52) from Andheri says he feels like he is 25 years old again after the surgery. He said, "I had the surgery a year ago under Dr Agrawal and three months after the surgery I was totally off insulin. I have gone from 130 kg to 76 kg because of this Rs 3 lakh operation, which takes two to three hours. I was walking two days after the operation."
Anil Tandon (46), a marine engineer, discovered he had diabetes during a blood test. He was 195 kg. "After the operation the diabetes just disappeared... I had to quit sailing because of my weight and diabetes. I look forward to sailing again."
Other diabetologists say
"I do not recommend the surgery. Not much is known, so I do not present it to my patients as an option."
Dr Raghumath Pathak, MD, Diabetologist
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"I have recommended it to about 12 of my patients with type II diabetes and have seen that diabetes was taken care of successfully. But I only recommend it to patients who are obese with a BMI above 33."
Dr Vishal Chopra, MBBS with a diploma in diabetology; practises at Hiranandani Hospital, Powai
Fall out
Side effects may be nutritional; patients may have to consume B12, iron or calcium supplements. "Patients' blood levels should be checked every two years. There are no other notable side effects," said Dr Agrawal. The operation costs between Rs 1-3 lakh and takes 2-3 hours.
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