By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: People with diabetes who undergo weight loss surgery have shown significant improvements in their condition than who try lifestyle changes and medications, says an expert.
Patients who have undergone bariatic surgery — commonly known as weight loss surgery — at an early stage of their condition can generally expect better outcomes.
Around 60 percent of people who undergo weight loss surgery in Qatar are diabetic and have shown significant improvements, said Dr Moataz Bashah (pictured), Director, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Department, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Most were middle-aged men and women.
Weight loss surgery is typically used to treat people with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 40 or more, or with a lower BMI but other health conditions.
Internationally, BMI is reduced to 30 for people with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other health problems.
“Obesity is a common cause of diabetics all over the world. After surgery, a diabetic will have quality life without complications if he follows doctor’s instructions. The best time for surgery is the early stage of the disease. What usually happens is that the medical team refers cases to us at the late stage,” Dr Bashah told this newspaper.
“Controlling diabetes through surgery is better than the cost of healthcare.
“Taking care of the diabetic is costlier than surgery. Surgery as a treatment for diabetic is accepted worldwide.
“From diagnosis until complications are shown take 10 to 30 years, and in the last one year of diabetes, no medicine has stopped its progress,” he said.
Over 30 percent of Qatari population is obese largely due to unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. There were 303,700 cases of diabetes last year. This has led to an increased number of people turning to bariatric surgery.
“International Diabetic Federation has said obese patients should be given the option of weight loss surgery and advised about its benefits.
“Now in Qatar when a patient in a family undergoes surgery and the condition is improved or cured, other family members come to us voluntarily,” he said.
Bariatric surgery is offered only to Qataris and more than 2,000 patients have undergone it at HMC since 2011.
The surgery involves operating on the stomach and/or intestines and is an option for people unable to lose weight by other means such as diet and exercise, or have serious obesity-related problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
The Peninsula
