Diabetic patients who undergo bariatric surgery must have a BMI of 32.5

Obesity and diabetes are two major risk factors that affect health. In recent years, weight loss surgery to treat diabetes has become the most popular metabolic surgery and has been included as one of the standard treatments for diabetes. However, the Taiwan Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery called on the Department of Health to speed up the formulation of "Standard Guidelines for Bariatric Metabolic Surgery Treatment" to alleviate the symptoms of diabetes patients through laparoscopic gastric bypass, gastric banding and other surgeries.

Obesity and diabetes are two major risk factors that affect health. Among them, the concept of using bariatric surgery to treat morbid obesity and diabetes has developed into the most popular "bariatric metabolic surgery".

Li Weijie, chairman of the "Taiwan Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Society", said that bariatric surgery in Taiwan was first developed by former National Taiwan University professor Chen Kaimo 30 years ago. At that time, Taiwan was also the first country in Asia to develop this type of surgery. In recent years, the incidence of obesity has increased dramatically, and general medical treatments have been ineffective. Coupled with the development of laparoscopic surgery, laparoscopic bariatric surgery has become increasingly popular and has become a powerful tool for treating extremely obese patients.

According to statistics from the society, more than 1,300 weight loss and metabolic surgeries were performed in Taiwan last year, with a success rate of over 90%, complications of only 3%, and a mortality rate of less than 1%, which can be said to have reached world-class levels. The World Diabetes Federation recommends that the indications for diabetes surgery are patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 32.5, or patients with a BMI greater than 27.5 and poorly controlled blood sugar.

After the establishment of the society, it will further help promote this type of surgery in the treatment of diabetes, so as to reduce major sequelae such as blindness and dialysis caused by diabetes, and reduce the huge burden of social medical care.

As for the definition of those whose condition cannot be controlled and who can be considered for surgery, Li Weijie suggested that priority should be given to those whose glycated hemoglobin levels have not improved after six months of active diet adjustment and exercise. (Photo by Zhang Shijie)

Li Weijie suggested that the definition of those who cannot control their condition and can consider surgery should be those whose glycosylated hemoglobin levels have not improved after half a year of active diet adjustment and exercise. However, according to domestic clinical experience, surgery is not recommended for people who have suffered from diabetes for more than 15 years because the effect of surgery may be limited. Therefore, surgical candidates must be strictly selected, and they must still cooperate with medical treatment after surgery, strictly adjust their diet and exercise habits, and take additional trace element preparations and nutrients to avoid sequelae such as malnutrition due to restricted diet after surgery.