More than a decade ago, epidemiologist and diabetes expert Paul Zimmet coined the term diabesity for those patients who suffered jointly obesity and type 2 diabetes. The term derives from the intimate relationship between both pathologies since Being overweight or obese predisposes you to developing insulin resistance.
It is estimated that In Spain about 3 million people suffer from diabetesa figure that may increase since the problem of overweight and obesity continues to increase year after year.
The problem is that the addition of diabetes and obesity can have serious consequences for the health of those who suffer from it, such as cardiovascular diseasesdementia or certain types of cancer. For this reason, specialists insist on prompt diagnosis, to begin treatment as soon as possible.
Precisely For its treatment, a new surgery has begun to be used that is giving very good results since it manages to end both obesity and diabetes..
Metabolic bypass with infrared
Just a few days ago, Dr. Carlos Ballesta, bariatric surgeon and director of the Dr. Ballesta Laparoscopic Centerlocated at the Teknon Medical Center in Barcelona, has successfully performed a novel laparoscopic surgery, with infrared rays, on a diabetic and morbidly obese patient.
The novelty of this surgical technique, called metabolic bypass with infrared rays, is precisely the use of these rays. “Infrared rays They allow the vascularization of the stomach to be optimally assessed, providing greater safety to surgery.”, explains the specialist.
In this specific case, the patient suffered from “diabesity”, that is, diabetes and obesity, “so, a metabolic bypass had to be done, which means that she will lose the excess kilos and cure the diabetes, thus preventing the pancreas continues to deteriorate and become affected.”
As the expert in bariatric surgery explains, bypasses are modifications of the internal anatomy that require anastomoses, that is, tissue joining. “The anastomosis is the union of two tissues so that they are firm while they heal and the healing depends on three parameters. First of all, that the patient is well nourished, that is, that he has proteins; secondly, that the specialist knows how to perform the technique correctly and, thirdly, and most importantly, so that they heal or stop healing, regardless of whether you know how to do the technique well and whether the person is well nourished, it is important. the vascularization of the tissue, that is, the blood reaching the microvessel.”
Well, the great advantage and the great advance that is achieved with this new surgery is that the surgeon can know if there is a microvessel and how the blood. When performing “normal surgery, by laparoscopy, we see what our eyes see, but, with the use of infrared rays and the laser, as it goes inside the vein, it allows us to see how far it goes” explains the doctor.
And the fact is that infrared rays are electromagnetic irradiation, which is not visible to the human eye, but “if we mix it with a special dye that exists (indocyanine), we determine that this vessel is visible”, facilitating surgery.
In addition to being a safer and more effective surgery, the postoperative period is simple, since, as the bariatric surgeon explains, the patient is discharged 48 hours after the intervention with practically no need for painkillers. Seven days later the stitches are removed and, after two weeks, he is eating normally.
Cure of type 1 diabetes in the future
For Dr. Carlos Ballesta, diabetes is “the silent killer” because it is a microvascular disease, that is, “it attacks the microvessels of the retina, which is why patients go blind; of the kidney, that’s why they go on dialysis; of the most distal extremities, which is why they have to amputate a finger or a leg…, etc. In short, it kills you slowly and attacks the heart, causing myocardial infarctions, because it obstructs that vessel.” For this reason, he considers working with infrared essential to end type 2 diabetes in obese patients.
Regarding type 1 diabetes, the expert assures that, although it is currently not cured, with laparoscopic surgery with infrared rays, work is being done on “the modification of fat cells through culture to transform them into beta cells, which are the that produce insulin and those that make the pancreas work. That’s why I say that, Currently, type 1 diabetes cannot be cured, but we should not lose hope because it will be cured in a few years.”, he concludes.