Gastric Banding Can Beat Diabetes. Cancer Too?
On-going research continues to confirm that weight loss surgery can reverse Type 2 (adult onset, obesity related) diabetes. A recent study conducted at NYU medical center of approximately 100 Type 2 diabetics who underwent gastric banding showed almost half had a return of normal glucose levels without needing anti-diabetic medication and the other half were able to significantly reduce the amount of medication they needed to control diabetes. The dramatic reduction in medication requirement in these post-operative diabetics was mirrored by substantial reductions in their weight.
In a separate study conducted in Sweden, researchers compared the occurrence of cancer in obese men and women who underwent gastric surgery for weight loss versus a similar group treated with diet alone. As expected the surgery group lost considerably more weight than the group treated with diet only. After 4 years it was found that women who underwent weight loss surgery had significantly lower incidence of cancer than the diet only group. There was no similar benefit in the men.
Obese women are known to have an increased risk of certain cancers compared to normal weight women. In particular, uterine and breast cancer are more commen in overweight women. Adipose tissue (fat cells) increases estrogen levels in the blood by converting other naturally occuring hormones to estrogen. It is thought that the excess estrogen is responsible for the increased cancer risk in obese women. In the Swedish study of women after gastric weight loss surgery, the reduction in cancer was most obvious for skin and blood cell cancers. This is not what would be expected if the cancer prevention was due to weight loss effects on lowering estrogen. The reason for the cancer reduction after gastric surgery in obese women is still under investigation.
Gary Pepper, M.D. , Editor-in-Chief, metabolism.com
Please advice me how can i get the surgery done and to whom i will contact. Thanks Iftikhar qayum
Iftikhar:
You need to either inquire at your local hospital or doctor or do an inquiry on Bariatric surgeons in your city and state.
Please also check with your current medical insurance. As of yet(been 3 years now) my current and past insurances unfortunately do not cover it and its an expensive procedure.
Quite a few months have passed since i last posted. I see no one else has commented since then. I do need to report that bariatric surgery is not done for everyone. I found out (my insurance still wont cover it sigh) that even if i did have the money or if the insurance woudl cover it that the doctor will not perform any kind of surgery on me. The reason is because in 1995 I had acute pancreatitis which they operated on my abdominal area. They said anyone who has had any kind of adominal surgery will not be operated on due to “complications” and will be turned away.
So im at an impasse..again.