Diabetic patients who do not want to rely on insulin use weight loss surgery

Currently, there are about 1.66 million people suffering from diabetes in Taiwan, most of whom are type 2 diabetics. The medical community believes that obesity will aggravate diabetes symptoms, but in the past, the symptoms could only be relieved by injecting insulin. However, since the end of last year (2011), the World Diabetes Federation has approved the use of bariatric surgery in the clinical treatment of diabetic patients. Bariatric surgery has gradually become a new treatment option for obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetic patient Xu Ruilin (second from right) successfully lost about 20 kilograms after undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and happily danced ballroom dance with the female dancers. (Photo provided by Changhua Christian Hospital)

45-year-old Xu Ruilin was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes seven years ago. His body mass index (BMI) has remained at around 36 (height 173 cm, weight 109 kg), far exceeding the standard value of 18.5 to 24. Even if he carefully controls his diet, he still cannot lose weight effectively, especially as blood sugar control becomes increasingly difficult. In addition to exercise, he must also take oral medication or insulin injections to control it for a long time.

Xu Ruilin said: "Although I am a little fat, I don't want to rely on insulin for the rest of my life." He is worried that like most diabetic patients, he will have to take injections and medicine every day, and then step by step go to the road of no return with retinal degeneration, difficult wound healing, kidney failure and finally dialysis. Therefore, he found on the Internet that laparoscopic weight loss surgery can relieve and treat obesity and diabetes symptoms at the same time, and decided to go to the Weight Management and Diabetes Health Management Center of Changhua Christian Hospital to undergo "laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy surgery."

Dr. Jianbin Zhan of the Chang Gynecological University Weight Management and Diabetes Health Management Center explained that "sleeve gastrectomy" will remove about four-fifths of the stomach, which can greatly reduce food intake and stomach capacity, preserve the gastric antrum, avoid anemia and other problems caused by insufficient absorption of iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid, and at the same time allow food to quickly pass to the posterior half of the small intestine, triggering the hindgut effect and improving blood sugar control.

On the second day after the weight loss surgery, Xu Ruilin no longer needed insulin to control his blood sugar. Two weeks later, he no longer took oral hypoglycemic drugs and was free from the threat of diabetes. One month later, he lost a total of 12 kilograms, and in three months he lost 18 kilograms. His weight is still decreasing. Xu Ruilin happily said that his ideal goal is to reduce his weight from 109 kg to 80 kg. Now he tries to avoid high sugar, high salt and high fat in his diet to keep himself on track.

Although the American Diabetes Association and the World Diabetes Organization confirmed at the end of last year that diabetes can be treated surgically, doctors remind that not every patient is suitable and must first undergo examination and evaluation before deciding on the method of treatment.