Bariatric Surgery in Obese Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE There is a paucity of data on the impact of bariatric surgery in type 1 diabetes (T1D). The aim of this review was to quantify the overall effects of bariatric surgery in obese patients with T1D. METHODS We searched PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar from their inception to December 2015 to identify all relevant studies of bariatric surgery in adult obese patients with T1D. RESULTS The review included 17 studies with 107 individuals, including 10 case series and 7 case reports. Overall, the dominant procedure was gastric bypass (n = 70; 65%). All studies reported a significant reduction in excess weight. A significant reduction in weight-adjusted daily insulin requirements was shown in all case series except one. Pooled mean ± SD of pre- and postoperative glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) for the entire cohort with available data (n = 96) was 8.4 ± 1.3% and 7.9 ± 1.1%, respectively (P = 0.01). In addition to common postoperative complications, profound glycemic changes (diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia) and gastrointestinal dysmotility symptoms (prolonged ileus and acute gastric remnant dilation) have been reported. No surgical mortality was reported. CONCLUSIONS Bariatric surgery leads to significant weight loss in severely obese patients with T1D and results in a significant improvement in insulin requirements and glycemic status. The favorable metabolic effects of bariatric surgery may facilitate medical management of and cardiovascular risk reduction in T1D in the setting of severe obesity. Diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycemia are potentially serious complications. Short-term results of bariatric surgery in patients with T1D are encouraging, but larger and longer-term studies are needed.