India is facing an epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The increasing association of diabetes with obesity has led to the emergence of Bariatrics along with the conventional medical treatment of diabetes. Since weight reduction is difficult to attain and even harder to maintain, researchers all over the world are increasingly realizing the potential of bariatric surgery as an efficacious cure to morbid obesity and diabetes. Bariatric procedures mainly comprise of malabsorptive procedures where the length of intestine available for nutrient absorption is decreased and restrictive procedures where food intake is reduced. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a combination procedure, is considered the gold standard bariatric procedure for most patients. The proposed mechanisms responsible for cure of diabetes are weight loss, reduced caloric intake and alteration in pattern of secretion of gastrointestinal hormones. There is promising data proving the mettle of bariatric procedures in the remission of Diabetes Mellitus yet there are no studies comparing their efficacy against standard anti-diabetic medical treatment. Hence it would be still premature to conclude the superiority of Bariatric surgery as a long term treatment for Diabetes.

Key Words: Type 2 Diabetes, morbid obesity, Bariatric surgery