Gastric bypass can reverse pancreas damage in diabetes patients

Gastric bypass surgery is becoming a common health intervention for obese patients with diabetes.

Not only does the surgery help overweight patients quickly shed pounds, but it's now also being touted as a way to stop damage to the pancreas - a critical outcome that can help diabetes patients reverse symptoms.

Gastric bypass restores pancreatic beta-cell function

A year ago, research was carried out at the Cleveland Clinic where 150 diabetic patients were studied. One-third received gastric bypass surgery, one-third were given a lap band-like device and the other patients received drug therapies. Patients who got the gastric bypass surgery showed dramatic results in terms of blood sugar normalization, but medical professionals wondered if the results would last.

According to a recent follow-up study published in Diabetes Care, the patients who received gastric bypass surgery still have better pancreatic functioning than before the surgery.

"Gastric bypass surgery seems to uniquely restore pancreatic beta-cell function, presumably by targeting belly fat and modifying the hormones in the gastrointestinal tract," said Dr. Sangeeta Kashyap, an endocrinologist with the Cleveland Clinic.

Better than medication or insulin?

Kashyap notes that gastric bypass targets abdominal fat - a place where hormones that can contribute to health problems develop. The surgery appears to help the pancreas function optimally again, which, Kashyap notes, hasn't been seen with medication or insulin.

And while gastric bypass seems to be a hopeful answer for diabetics, a similar surgery - a sleeve gastrectomy - appears to help patients with weight loss but not a reduction in diabetes symptoms.

Typically, gastric bypass surgery costs about $25,000.

Source: MSNBC

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