How Metabolic Surgery Is A Best Way To Treat Diabetes?

Metabolic disorders occur when abnormal chemical reactions disrupt the metabolism of the body. This affects how well the body breaks down large molecules for energy and how efficiently cells can produce energy or cause any issue with the energy-regulating process. A common example of a metabolic disorder is diabetes. Diabetes interferes with the regulation of the hormone insulin. Insulin is the hormone responsible for the entry of glucose into the cells of the body. And it is also responsible for storing glucose in muscles or the liver. Insulin does not work correctly in diabetics, and it can lead to increased levels of glucose in the blood, which causes a variety of health issues. So, we will discuss below how metabolic surgery is an effective and best way to treat diabetes before it causes serious health problems.

Diabetes and its prevalence

As diabetes is a metabolic disease characterized by increases in blood sugar, it, over time, causes damage to the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys. Diabetes has two types: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes occurs mainly in children and young people. In type 1 diabetes pancreas gland cannot produce insulin, and the patients use insulin from the very beginning. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas gland resists the insulin produced, and the body’s inability uses the insulin produced—90% of people who are overweight and obese.

Moreover, in the past years, there has been a dramatic rise in the prevalence of diabetes worldwide. According to WHO, about 422 million people around the world have diabetes, and 1.5 million deaths are directly related to diabetes every year. And the number of cases and prevalence of diabetes have been increasing steadily over the past few decades.

Complications of diabetes

If you are a patient with type 2 diabetes and do not keep your blood glucose level under control, you may experience short- and long-term complications. However, you may be able to prevent these complications by watching your diet, exercising, and taking the necessary medications.

Short-term complications of diabetes 

These complications include:

• Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is low blood glucose levels. Your blood glucose can drop when you take insulin or other drugs. While taking these medicines, if you eat less and exercise more, the blood glucose level may dip.

• Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome (HHNS)

HHNS is very rare, but you should be aware of it. It is when the blood glucose level goes way too high, and if you do not treat it fast, it may result in death. So, monitor your glucose levels closely, especially if you are sick.

Long-term complications of diabetes

These complications include:

• Diabetic retinopathy

When blood glucose level is out of normal range for a more extended period, it causes cataracts or retinopathy, and the patient can lose vision. Have yearly eye check-ups and keep your glucose levels regularly to avoid this.

• Kidney disease

Kidney diseases lead to kidney failure if not treated on time. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause kidneys to fail, and they cannot clean the blood. Get tested for microalbuminuria to prevent diabetic nephropathy because it is an early sign of kidney failure. A urine sample is used for the test. Kidneys release too much protein if they do not function properly. Medicines can help prevent further kidney damage once this test diagnoses the problem.

• Diabetic neuropathy

The nerve damage due to diabetes is known as diabetic neuropathy. In these conditions, the tiny blood vessels that feed the nerves fail to work because of the damage caused by diabetes. Individuals who have diabetes for too long and fail to manage average glucose levels lose sensation in their feet. They also experience pain, weakness, or tingling sensation.

• Macrovascular issues

Type 2 diabetes affects the large blood vessels and causes plaque to build up, which leads to heart attack, stroke, or vessel blockage in the lower limbs.

Treatment of diabetes

Insulin is the best treatment for type 1 diabetes. And treatment of type 2 diabetes is a change in lifestyle, diet, and medication. Metabolic surgery or surgery with endocrine is also the best way to treat diabetes. Healthcare providers of people with diabetes consider metabolic surgery if they cannot control diabetes with lifestyle changes. Moreover, healthcare providers recommend metabolic surgery if patients need insulin or their organs are damaged.

Metabolic surgery | Best way to treat diabetes

Procedures that surgeons use to treat metabolic disorders, especially type 2 diabetes, are known as metabolic surgery. Best surgeons in Lahore perform these procedures laparoscopically and with incisions, the smallest of .5cm and the largest of 2 cm. They remove almost 50% of the stomach. Then they relocate the small intestine by bringing the last part to the head and the first part to the end.

In metabolic surgery, one-third of the food you eat goes through the normal way, and two third of the food goes through the newly created ones. Most of the food that you eat, which is not fully digested and does not come into contact with pancreatic fluids, releases a hormone when it comes to the last part of the small intestine. This hormone stimulates insulin release from the pancreas, increasing its effectiveness in the tissue. So, type 2 diabetes is relieved by 90-95%. Also, people lose 70-80% of their excess weight within a year.

Types of weight loss surgery for diabetes

• Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy
• Laparoscopic adjustable gastric band
• Malabsorptive or intestinal bypass
• Biliopancreatic diversion without duodenal switch
• roux-en-Y gastric bypass
• Ileal interposition surgery

Advantages of laparoscopic metabolic surgery over open surgery

• Post-operative pain is less in laparoscopic surgeries, while open surgical procedures may cause pain at the incision site.
• In open surgery, patients often encounter lung problems.
• There is more risk of infection in open surgery, while laparoscopic surgery has less chance of disease.
• Patients can return to their routine within almost one week and ten days after laparoscopic metabolic surgeries, whereas open surgeries take one or a half months.
• There is less scarring in laparoscopic surgeries than in open surgeries.

Who is a good candidate for metabolic surgery?

The best candidates for metabolic surgery are the people

• with type 2 diabetes
• BMI calculator between 35-40, blood glucose not within the normal range
• BMI between 30-35 with blood glucose not within the normal range despite of healthy diet and exercise

Endocrinologist: the best doctor to consult for diabetes

Endocrinologists in Lahore are healthcare professionals who specialize in glands and hormones they produce. They deal with the metabolic process that enables the body to function correctly. Though your regular doctor treats diabetes, they refer you to an endocrinologist when:

• You need to know about the management of diabetes
• They don’t have enough experience in treating diabetes
• It would be best if you had an insulin pump or needed a lot of shots
• Regular treatment fails to control the glucose levels
• You are experiencing complications from diabetes

You can always consult an endocrinologist even though your doctor does not suggest it. The best diabetic doctor in Lahore will ask you all about your diabetes, how you manage it and your troubles in detail. Take your charts of blood glucose levels with you. The best endocrinologist will ask about the details of your medical history and management of diabetes, like symptoms, eating habits, workout schedules, how regularly you become sick, and all the medications you have been taking.

They will check your blood glucose, urine and cholesterol levels. And after reviewing the results, the top endocrinologist in Lahore will advise you on the best course of treatment.

Final Thoughts about top endocrinologist in Lahore

At ALSA, we have a top endocrinologist in Lahore who deals with the severity of diabetes and its treatment but also advises management and awareness about metabolic disorders. We can conclude that metabolic surgery is the best way to treat diabetes. For this purpose, our diabetes specialist in Lahore also addresses the risk associated with diabetes and related endocrine disorders. ALSA Pakistan offers nutritional counselling, psychiatric help and complicated weight loss surgeries. Moreover, we have advanced medical equipment to give the best care possible to diabetics and help them fight it as well as they can.