Bariatric surgery — called metabolic surgery when performed for diabetes — has become far less invasive in recent years. Tuesday’s guidelines examined 11 studies that tracked diabetes patients randomly assigned to bariatric surgery or regular care. Obesity and Type 2 diabetes are a deadly pair, and numerous studies show stomach-shrinking operations can dramatically improve diabetes. Medicare pays for certain types of bariatric surgery for the very obese who have at least one obesity-caused illness, including diabetes. Until now, health guidelines have focused on obesity surgery as a last-resort method for quick weight loss, with diabetes improvement considered a bonus.

Source: National Post May 24, 2016 11:00 UTC