Question:
Are there any good studies which show that this surgery helps diabetes?
I want to fight the insurance companies and I need data from studies. Do you know of any? — Penny H. (posted on June 16, 1999)
June 16, 1999
I'm not sure of any studies, but you may want to search the net under State
Health Department Studies ... you may also want to check with the Diabetes
Accociation, they would know.
I was taken off of insulin 2 weeks prior to my WLS, because I was going on
Medifast and my doc knew I would not need it. He told me to test myself
and if it got over a certain number, give myself a shot. That was the 10th
of October 1997, I have not given myself a shot yet. Two months after the
surgery I was no longer considered a diabetic ... my A1C3 test had gone
from a 13 down to a 6.7 within 3 months. If there has not been a study,
there needs to be.
Good Luck!
Mary Anne
— Mary Anne M.
June 16, 1999
This surgery basically "cures" diabetes not helps it. My surgeon
said he has had only 2 or 3 people NOT get off all meds and insulin after
losing the weight. They have known for years and years that weight loss
"cures" diabetes but getting people to lose weight is impossible.
(without this surgery in my case)You could ask a surgeon to put that in
writing as far as a study, I have not seen one but I am sure the
documentation is out there it, may not be on the internet though...
— JAN C.
June 16, 1999
I don't know about studies, but I do know that I was a Type 2 diabetic for
over 4 years when I had my surgery and that I no longer have to take
medication. I know that my blood sugar measures betwen 80 and 90 at all
times now.
Rich Terry
mailto:richatsurgilite#hotmail.com
— Richard T.
June 17, 1999
I am a diabetic and had my surgery done on 6/1/99.There are several good
studies that show this surgery is of great benefit to diabetics. You can do
a Medline searchand find some of these. For some reason the surgery
increases insulin sensitivity almost immediately.
— Linda L.
June 17, 1999
Penny, I too am a diabetic. The main reason I started checking out this
surgery was because of an article I read on the National Institute of
Health web page - I don't know for sure what the web address is, but you
can do a search for NIH and find it. But they had a major research paper
about the benefits of this surgery for diabetics. I would start there,
while doing my research I found other articles in different areas of the
net. Good luck.
— Janet C.
June 18, 1999
I have no studies to prove the issue. In my own case, I was a
Type II diabetic. I produced insulin but not enough to take care
of a 300 lb body. I had RNY surgery resulting in the loss of
150 lbs. I am stable at 153 lbs and had my surgery in 1995 and now am
no longer diabetic. My blood sugar stabalized within three months of my
surgery. Occasionally my blood sugar goes the other way and
drops causing the typical symptons of hypoglycemia. I think
this only happens two or three times a year now. Good luck
to you in your quest! Let us hear from you.
— Peggy W.
June 25, 1999
The answer to your question is yes. WLS can "cure" Type II
diabetes. The best study confirming this fact comes from
the East Carolina U.School of Medicine, authored by
Pories, WJ et al. "Who would have thought it? An operation
proves to be the most effective therapy for adult-onset
diabetes mellitus?" in the Annals of Surgery 222:339,1995.
I hope this helps
and is entitled
— Helmut S.
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