Abstract
BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is gastrointestinal surgery for weight control, and metabolic surgery refers to the use of surgery to primarily and purposely treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)/metabolic syndrome mellitus. METHODS: The most recent literature was reviewed for surgery and T2DM in a non-systematic fashion. RESULTS: Roux-Y gastric bypass, biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch, and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) are the dominant procedures today. SG is emerging as the most popular operation worldwide. Laparoscopy has made metabolic surgery as safe as other common abdominal procedures. A BMI > 60 kg/m(2), however, exposes a significantly higher perioperative risk. Most patients experience a sustained improvement of glycemic control with subsequent reduction of cardiovascular events. The remission rates depend on the severity and duration of diabetes. Prevention of long-term nutritional deficits and monitoring of metabolism require lifelong medical surveillance of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The profound impact of weight reduction surgery on glucose metabolism explains the growing interest in treating T2DM by surgical means. Metabolic surgery is a safe option for carefully selected patients with metabolic syndrome.