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| woodstock1735 |
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Posted: 4/17/2008 9:10 PM |
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Subject: Surgical Cure for Type 2 Diabetes |
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WomanSaver Regular
Female Member
Age: 35
Total Posts: 87
Arlington
Virginia
United States
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Hi Dr. WomanSaver!
I have recently heard about the experimental surgery used to cure type 2 Diabetes. Do you know anything about it? What the procedure is actually called? Is this something covered by insurance or would a person have to privately pay for it?
I appreciate any information you have on it.
Thanks,
Woods
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| Dr.WomanSaverM.D. |
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Posted: 4/20/2008 11:02 PM |
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Subject: Surgical Cure for Type 2 Diabetes |
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WomanSaver MoFo
Female Member
Age: 100
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Total Posts: 546
Doctor's Office
Costa Rica
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| woodstock1735 wrote: |
Hi Dr. WomanSaver!
I have recently heard about the experimental surgery used to cure type 2 Diabetes. Do you know anything about it? What the procedure is actually called? Is this something covered by insurance or would a person have to privately pay for it?
I appreciate any information you have on it.
Thanks,
Woods
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Hi Woods,
Good question. Obesity
is thought to be a major risk factor for diabetes. With a majority of
type 2 diabetics being obese, it makes sense that reducing weight,
helps to prevent diabetes, or even reverse or resolve diabetes
completely.
Weight reduction surgery is called bariatric surgery. You may have heard of gastric bypass, a surgery done for morbidly obese people, to help in weight loss. Another alternative is the lap-band which is an adjustable belt like device placed on the top part of the stomach.
Both procedures make the stomach smaller, and result in a feeling of satiety or "fullness" sooner,
which leads to eating less and ultimately weight loss. It‘s hard to explain without a picture, so here is a nice video about bariatric surgery:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gastric-bypass/MM00703
For more info please see the following articles:
Gastric Lap-Band Surgery Can Send Diabetes Into Remission
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=86575
Gastric bypass:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007199.htm
Lap Band:
http://www.lapband.com/
From my experience, I have seen many patients
benefit from weight loss surgery. However there are many risks
associated with the procedure itself, and not everyone is a good
candidate for this type of surgery. If you are interested in bariatric
surgery for weight loss or diabetes, speak to your doctor and find out
if this is a good option for you. Regarding the insurance issues,
you‘ll have to check with your health insurance company if it is
covered.
Dr.WS
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