Is a life without insulin possible? How does Metabolic Surgery help?
Even though scientists all around the world search for an exact solution for Type 2 Diabetes, the multi-component nature of the disease prevents this from happening. In other words, diabetes is always ahead of medication. As a matter of fact, ''Metabolic Surgery'' procedures, which include the most effective treatment options current known, strive to get to the root of the problem.
To explain this as simple as possible, type 2 diabetes shows up in patients whose bodies produce insulin, but can't use it. This is exactly the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Since type 1 diabetic patients can't produce insulin, they must use insulin medication, which is a lifesaver for them. Type 2 diabetic patients on the other hand, produce insulin but can't use it. In time, their insulin reserves decrease and the need of insulin arise. Classic treatment advises insulin medication for these patients without even evaluating their insulin reserves. And this is the root of all problems.
When you start insulin medication on a patient whose body already produces insulin and has decent insulin reserves, this patient will gain weight. If you start anti-diabetic oral medication, this drug will cause insulin over-production, which will lead to a faster depletion of insulin reserves.
Patients who start insulin treatment feel great at the initial stage. However, some time later, they start to gain weight because of insulin. As a result, blood sugar levels start to rise once more. At every check-up, you get blamed because not sticking to your diet and gaining weight. On top of that, your insulin dose will be increased as well. As the dose increases, your weight increases too. This is what we call a vicious circle. Even though the fattening effect of insulin is well known, sadly there is no medication that can break through this vicious circle yet.
As you can see, this is where ''Metabolic Surgery'' procedures come in. The primary criteria that determines if you can undergo these procedures are whether your body produces sufficient insulin or not and your insulin reserves. If your body does indeed produce enough insulin but can't use it, that means the problem is related to gastrointestinal hormones and fat tissue. And Metabolic Surgery procedures aim to reorganize the functions of these hormones.
Prof. Alper Celik
Endocrinology Surgery, MD
Awarded as “The young scientist of the year” at “European Society of Endocrinology”, 2016, Munich
“Doctor of exellence” in the field of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
If you want to know more about metabolic surgery, do not hesitate to contact us!
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