Manhattan Diabetes Surgery

The primary benefit of any bariatric procedure for diabetes is controlling blood glucose levels by losing a significant amount of weight. Surgeries like gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy typically result in faster weight loss than the adjustable gastric band. The Wall Street Journal has reported that when bariatric surgery diverts foods away from the blood sugar regulating hormones in the small intestine, diabetes can “quickly recede.” In fact, over 75% of obese type 2 diabetes sufferers no longer have symptoms or require medications after having a bariatric procedure.

Depending on the type of bariatric surgery used for your diabetes, the recovery time may vary. For more complex procedures like gastric bypass you typically stay in the hospital for two nights. For sleeve gastrectomy and gastric banding the hospital stay is usually one night. Whichever procedure you have, make sure you follow your surgeon’s instructions and don’t stop taking your diabetes medications until you’ve been cleared to do so.

The type of diabetes surgery you have will dictate what kinds of risk you will face. Any surgery carries with it the normal risks associated with general anesthetic, but the more invasive procedures also have increased risks of infection and bleeding after the surgery.

Some potential health risks include:

• Bleeding at the incision site or internally

• Blood clots (deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolus)

• Gallstones

• Pneumonia and other lung issues

• Increased heart attack risk

• Infection at the incision sites or internally for gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy patients

Although the surgery is geared toward relieving or reversing your diabetes, it is still a bariatric procedure and will require you to follow the same dietary guidelines as every bariatric patient. After the surgery, you will be on a pureed diet for 4 weeks. After that, solid foods are started, albeit in very small amounts. As the weeks and months pass, you will be given updated dietary guidelines that work best for weight loss and for controlling your diabetes.

Since this bariatric procedure is focused on a specific health condition that’s been caused by your obesity, it is critical that you don’t miss any scheduled appointments. Your doctors will want to monitor and evaluate your weight loss, and possibly adjust your diabetes medications as the weight continues to come off.