Bariatric surgery, or surgery to reduce weight, is effective for producing remission in Type 2 diabetes in some cases.
Researchers at the University of Florida in Miami, United States, carried out a study to learn which people with Type 2 diabetes could benefit the most from the procedure.
Their study, reported on in the medical journal Obesity Surgery in November 2014, included 245 obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes.
One year after surgery 26 percent of these diabetics had an...

• HbA1c of not more than 6 percent and
• a fasting blood sugar of less than 100 mg/dl (5 mmol/L).
  

The average HbA1c decreased from 8 to 6.
7 percent after 6 months and 6.
4 after one year.
It was found the participants with...

• no family history of Type 2 diabetes,
• who were using only oral medications, and
• who had few complications of the disease

had the greatest chance of going into remission.
From these results it was concluded diabetics without a family history, with fewer complications, and not using insulin are the best candidates for roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery.
Roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery consists of...

• making the stomach into a small pouch and reattaching it to the middle part of the small intestine (jejunum).
  
• food goes into the small pouch so the person feels full eating only a small amount.
  
• as the food travels to the jejunum, it bypasses the upper part of the small intestine, or duodenum.
  
• since the duodenum normally absorbs some of the food, bypassing it means absorbing less of the food as it passes through the digestive tract.
  

After the procedure it is important to prevent malnutrition.
Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, United States, recommends daily vitamin and mineral supplements for life...

• vitamin D,
• calcium,
• vitamin B12,
• iron, and
• multivitamins

prevent nutritional deficiency.
People who have had gastric bypass surgery...

• need to take twice the dose of vitamins recommended for people with normal digestive tracts, and have
• blood tests every six months to ensure they get enough vitamins and minerals.
  

People who have bypass surgery develop a higher need for protein, and must eat high protein sources such as beans and other legumes.
Fruits and vegetable are also important for their vitamin and mineral content, although diabetics need to regulate their carbohydrate intake.
Major surgery is undertaken only as a last resort, when diet and exercise fail.
Many people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are able to produce a remission by lowering their weight to normal by lowering their blood sugar, eating less and getting more physical activity.
Here's to remission.