據紐約肥胖疾病治療中心研究表明：盡管肥胖癥一直以來是患糖尿病的先兆，但是手術減肥已經成為一種新的方式來有效得幫助肥胖患者重新達到正常血糖指數，并減少患者為控制糖尿病病情而對藥物治療產生的依賴。

美國疾病控制中心稱，在美國，有20%甚至更多的成年人患有肥胖癥。肥胖增加了人們得糖尿病以及心血管疾病的幾率。美國疾病控制中心警覺到，如果目前的狀況得不到控制，肥胖癥將會成為造成美國可預防死亡的首要因素。對于肥胖癥患者而言，如果要減輕100磅或者更多的體重，那么，手術減肥是無疑是最有效、并且效果最持久的方式。

肥胖疾病治療中心的創始人之一，同時，也是美國曼哈頓圣文森特醫院縮胃手術的主治醫師詹姆斯·薩帕拉先生，開創了一種全新的幫助減肥的外科技術。這一技術被稱為“薩帕拉-伍德微囊”技術，它由一個開口的Roux-en-Y胃替代管與一個小的囊袋組成。到目前為止，這項技術進行得十分順利，90%以上接受此類手術的患者，在手術后的兩年內，成功減去了多余體重的75%。比起不用胃囊的Roux-en-Y手術方法而言，這一新型技術的效果更為顯著。而且，這一技術只需在更小的范圍內開切口，那就意味著，病人的身上今后將留下更小的傷疤。

另一種類似的醫療裝置稱為Lap-Band，它與腹腔鏡胃搭橋手術使用相同的腹腔鏡裝置與技術，但不同的是，在胃部上側有一個Lap-Band可調節性為繃帶系統，用來固定囊袋，控制胃吸收量。這一技術能使肥胖病患者在手術后的兩至三年內減去多余體重的36-38%。

英文原文報道：

Surgical Weight Loss Improves Diabetic Status

 
Although obesity poses serious health implications as a harbinger of type 2 diabetes, surgical weight loss is a way to achieve normal blood sugar levels and reduce the need for medication to control type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Obesity-Related Illness (CORI, New York, NY).

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC, Atlanta, GA, USA) state that 20% or more of adults in the United States are obese. Obesity leads to an escalating risk for diseases such as diabetes and coronary heart disease. The CDC notes that if current trends persist, obesity will become the leading U.S. cause of preventable death. For obese people, surgical weight loss is the most effective lasting solution for losing 100 pounds or more.

A new surgical technique for weight loss has been developed by the cofounder of CORI, James A. Sapala, M.D., chief of bariatric surgery at St. Vincent抯 Hospital-Manhattan (New York, NY, USA). This technique, called the Sapala-Wood Micropouch, consists of an open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery with a very small pouch, which to date has not required a revision. More than 90% of Micropouch patients lose 75% of their excess weight within two years of surgery, equaling or surpassing the weight reduction achieved with Roux-en-Y bypass surgery without the Micropouch. The procedure requires smaller incisions, which means smaller scars long-term.

Another procedure called Lap-Band uses the same laparoscopic tools and techniques as laparoscopic gastric bypass, but an adjustable band is placed around the upper portion of the stomach to create a small pouch that restricts how much the stomach can hold. The average weight loss is 36-38% of excess weight two to three years after surgery.