type II Diabetes

[murphy2]

Good Morning All,

I am new and have been hovering on this site for at least one month. Tomorrow is the day for me. The information on this site has been wonderful and has provided me with all the answers to questions I have had except one.. does anyone have type II and how has it been after the band? My concern is low blood sugar and how to handle it. Thanks for all of the great posts and here I go!

Amy

[Alana]

I don't have type II diabetes, but a co-worker of mine just recently read an article about how some doctors are recommending the Lap Band as a way to cure type II diabetes. I searched on msnbc and found it.

CHICAGO - A new study gives the strongest evidence yet that obesity surgery can cure diabetes.

Patients who had surgery to reduce the size of their stomachs were five times more likely to see their diabetes disappear over the next two years than were patients who had standard diabetes care, according to Australian researchers.

Most of the surgery patients were able to stop taking diabetes drugs and achieve normal blood tests.

“It’s the best therapy for diabetes that we have today, and it’s very low risk,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. John Dixon of Monash University Medical School in Melbourne, Australia.

The patients had stomach band surgery, a procedure more common in Australia than in the United States, where gastric bypass surgery, or stomach stapling, predominates.

Gastric bypass is even more effective against diabetes, achieving remission in a matter of days or a month, said Dr. David Cummings, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal but was not involved in the study.

“We have traditionally considered diabetes to be a chronic, progressive disease,” said Cummings of the University of Washington in Seattle. “But these operations really do represent a realistic hope for curing most patients.”

Diabetes experts who read the study said surgery should be considered for some obese patients, but more research is needed to see how long results last and which patients benefit most. Surgery risks should be weighed against diabetes drug side effects and the long-term risks of diabetes itself, they said.

The diabetes benefits of weight-loss surgery were known, but the Australian study in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association is the first of its kind to compare diabetes in patients randomly assigned to surgery or standard care. Scientists consider randomized studies to yield the highest-quality evidence.

The study involved 55 patients, so experts will be looking for results of larger experiments under way.

'New way of thinking about diabetes'

“Few studies really qualify as being a landmark study. This one is,” said Dr. Philip Schauer, who was not involved in the Australian research but leads a Cleveland Clinic study that is recruiting 150 obese people with diabetes to compare two types of surgery and standard medical care.

“This opens an entirely new way of thinking about diabetes.”

Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, and researchers are furiously pursuing reasons for the link as rates for both climb. What’s known is that excess fat can cause the body’s normal response to insulin to go haywire. Researchers are investigating insulin-regulating hormones released by fat and the role of fatty acids in the blood.

In the Australian study, all the patients were obese and had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the past two years. Their average age was 47. Half the patients underwent a type of surgery called laparoscopic gastric banding, where an adjustable silicone cuff is installed around the upper stomach, limiting how much a person can eat.

Both groups lost weight over two years; the surgery patients lost 46 pounds on average, while the standard-care patients lost an average of 3 pounds.

Blood tests showed diabetes remission in 22 of the 29 surgery patients after two years. In the standard-care group, only four of the 26 patients achieved that goal. The patients who lost the most weight were the most likely to eliminate their diabetes.

Both patient groups learned about low-fat, high-fiber diets and were encouraged to exercise. Both groups could meet with a health professional every six weeks for two years.

The death rate for stomach band surgery, which can cost $17,000 to $20,000, is about 1 in 1,000. There were only minor complications in the study. Stomach stapling has a 2 percent death rate and costs $20,000 to $30,000.

In the United States, surgeons perform more than 100,000 obesity surgeries each year.

The American Diabetes Association is interested in the findings. The group revises its recommendations each fall, taking new research into account.

“There is a growing body of evidence that bariatric surgery is an effective tool for managing diabetes,” said Dr. John Buse of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, the association’s president for medicine and science.

“It’s just a question of how effective is it, for what spectrum of patients, over what period of time and at what cost? Not all those questions have been answered yet.”

Medical devices used in the study were provided by the manufacturers, but the companies had no say over the study’s design or its findings, Dixon said.

*for full view of the article on their site, plus some graphs and charts, go to: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22787261/from/ET/

Hope this helps!!

Alana

[mona-camille]

I am not diabetic but I too have heard that this can cure your diabetes. Good luck to you tomorrow, and let us know how you made out!!

[jena]

Take note of the word CURE.

My doctor was amazed to find out the AMA recognizes the band as the only cure to Type II.

[Kim2BSlim]

I am amazed at the miracles the lapband can do. I am hoping it completely cures your diabetes. >

[MamaMichelle]

Here's a video on the same topic from Dr. O's website: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/22785441#22785441

[Bobbi]

I have type II diabetes, have had it for over 20 years now. My intake on insuline before band was 130 - 145 units a day of insuline. My gloucose levels never came down no matter what I did. I would run very high over 200 the last time I went in for my A1c test it came out to 10.5. Very high!!! The morning of my surgery it was 375 way to high they gave me an insulin shot before surgery. Since surgery my gloucose level has not gotten over 120. I have been able to lower my insulin intake to 20 - 25 units a day. This has been the best gift I could give myself. I don't who else has diabetes I only know the band has helped me out tremedously.

[MamaMichelle]

Thanks for your post Bobbi,

That is such wonderful and encouraging news!! My dad has type 2 diabetes and while I have yet to tell him about my surgery when the time comes and he can see my success I hope he will choose to get the band as well so he can get onto the road to health like all of us!

[WAgal]

Hi Amy,

I have diabetes II, onset type and was diagnosed in 2003. It has been encouraging so far since I was banded and am 7weeks post op. My glucose reading had run amuck (before surgery)....my fasting never went below 170-200. That's fasting, on a good day my best reading was 170 and sometime it was a crazy higher number! One day after surgery I took my fasting glucose and it was 120.. did it again a few days later still 120. I now take my glucose midday and it's been a remarkable 137 (that's after a meal after an hour). Readings before was at least 200 after 2 hours after a meal. I think I'm making better choices with food... still have my temptations but that's why I can't wait to be "filled" in a few days. We that were banded in Feb. 28 definitely need restriction now. I'm so hungry all the time and can eat w/out any restriction. Again I'm still learning what I can eat as far as things going down well but I find it's probably because I don't do the 30 chews per bite!!! It has been very encouraging so far and was told that since I was pretty recently diagnosed... remission is very high like in the 90th percentile. I'm not taking any meds anymore for diabetes or high blood pressure... I think all my pills made me sick as I had insomnia and aches and pains of all sorts. I now sleep through the night and have not had any of what I call "the dead limb syndrome" You know when you first wake up in the morning and your foot/hand/arm is asleep... I got it all the time and now have not had it... again a remarkable thing for me.

Please do not compare yourself to me as far as results.. Your doctor is still the best indication of your health status. When I went to see my general doctor here, he said that he was behind me in the lapband surgery. He didn't want me to go to Mexico but that was my decision. My last a1c reading was 9.2!!! Yes very high. That was 8 weeks ago, just before surgery. I'll go in to have this a1c testing again in another month and I can't wait to see the results! I also paid out of my own pocket and do not regret my decision. All went well and am looking forward to the journey of a healthier better looking me!!! You take care and you can email me or send a message to me here on the forum if you have further questions.

The people here are wonderful in supporting bandsters and future bandsters. We know how you feel that's why!

Blessings,

Hanna

[Dontondan]

I also am Diabetic and had my Lapband since December. I take Metformin currently and am due to go back for my check up next month with my MD. My readings have gone down and average between 90-100 fasting. I will be getting my A1C next month and am hoping it will reflect how well I am doing, if this is the case my Dr. says he will take me off the Metformin. I have high hopes that this will happen! I have also been able to stop all my medications for GERD since surgery....This has been wonderful! I expect my cholestrol will be way lower also.

Health benefits----Definitely :i-m_so_happy:

[Paula Bee]

Dr. Ortiz told me that I wouldn't need my nexium the day after my surgery, and I have never taken it again. It is amazing.

[jmrmom]

Good Morning All,

I am new and have been hovering on this site for at least one month. Tomorrow is the day for me. The information on this site has been wonderful and has provided me with all the answers to questions I have had except one.. does anyone have type II and how has it been after the band? My concern is low blood sugar and how to handle it. Thanks for all of the great posts and here I go!

Amy

[jmrmom]

Amy,

I am wondering how you are doing after your surgery. How are you feeling? Hope everything went well.

Kim