Metabolic Surgery for Type 2 Diabetes: New Recommendations in Diabetes Management

Bariatric surgery has emerged as an effective treatment not only for obesity, but also for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Recent meta-analysis reported the complete resolution of T2D in 78% of cases of morbidly obese patients after bariatric surgery, especially after a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Such results obtained in diabetic populations with body mass index (BMI) scores > 35 kg/m2 have suggested that bariatric surgery may also be an innovative therapy for T2D. In addition, because metabolic improvement after bariatric surgery is not completely related to body weight loss, the term “metabolic surgery” emerged as a more appropriate word for the surgical treatment of T2D. Metabolic surgery for type 2 diabetic unbalanced by a medical treatment with BMI < 35 kg/m2 can now be considered after the publication in 2016 of a new guideline validated by International Diabetes Organizations. Thus, metabolic surgery will be progressively included in worldwide clinical practice recommendations for T2D.