Metabolic Surgery and Reduced Mortality in Diabetic Patients

I recently reviewed the article, which compared mortality in patients with Type 2 Diabetes who underwent Metabolic Surgery, such as gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy, in comparison to medical management.

Results are summarized below – and they are almost frightening to me, as a Bariatric surgeon – because surgery is so superior to medications, and yet only a small fraction of patients are being referred for surgery! Yet we see commercials on TV advertising these medications all the time, with majority of patients depicted being morbidity obese!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ARTICLE:

• Metabolic surgery reduces mortality in patients with T2D compared to medical therapy
• Both overall and cardiovascular mortality are reduced by > 66%
• The risk for non-lethal cardiovascular events is also reduced by about two-thirds
• These findings support the pivotal role of metabolic surgery in the treatment of T2D

Click here to read the study