What is Metabolic Surgery?
All obesity surgeries are also metabolic surgeries. This is because while obesity surgeries address the issue of obesity, they also help improve diseases related to obesity, such as type 2 diabetes (diabetes), hypertension, fatty liver, and other conditions. These diseases, which we refer to as metabolic syndrome, improve as a result, which is why it is called Metabolic Surgery.
What is Diabetes Surgery (Sugar Surgery)?
There is no surgery specifically called “diabetes surgery” scientifically. However, since type 2 diabetes is the most common metabolic disease, the greatest improvement after metabolic surgery is observed in diabetes. For this reason, it is widely referred to as Diabetes Surgery (Sugar Surgery) in common language.
What is the STAMPADE Study?
In this study conducted by Cleveland Clinic, obese patients with type 2 diabetes (BMI > 30 kg/m2) who underwent either medical treatment or bariatric surgery were compared. The results showed that patients who underwent bariatric surgery experienced greater improvement in diabetes and normalization of HbA1c (three-month blood sugar levels).
Bariatric surgeries such as Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric Sleeve) and Gastric Bypass were performed on the patients. Although the improvement in diabetes after both surgeries was similar, Gastric Bypass was found to be slightly more effective.
Can I Have Metabolic Surgery if I Have Low Weight?
Recent scientific studies indicate that metabolic surgery can be applied to patients with severe type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 30-35 kg/m2, who do not respond sufficiently to drug treatment. However, surgery is not recommended for type 2 diabetes patients with a BMI under 30 kg/m2 by international guidelines.
What Are the Current Surgery Criteria for Type 2 Diabetic Patients?
The Turkish Ministry of Health’s Health Services Department published the Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Clinical Protocol (Ankara 2021). According to this protocol, the following legal criteria are applied for patient selection.
* Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Clinical Protocol. Research, Development, and Health Technology Evaluation Directorate. Ministry of Health, Turkey. Ankara, 2021.
