With the rapid increase in obesity there has been a pronounced increase in obesity-related metabolic disorders including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidaemia and hypertension. Bariatric surgery is a highly effective treatment for achieving long-term weight loss and is increasingly recognised to have benefits in diabetes treatment and cause improvement in other metabolic factors. Recent small randomised trials reported better glycaemic control after surgical intervention compared to pharmacological therapy. Physiological studies suggest a surgery-specific, weight-independent effect on glucose homeostasis. Long-term efficacy is to be proven. Consensus on definition of diabetes and diabetes remission must be achieved. Larger multicentre, randomised trials need to be done to clarify the place of metabolic surgery in diabetes treatment algorithms.
Keywords: Bariatric surgery; body mass index; gastric bypass; remission of diabetes; type 2 diabetes.