Diabetes can be shed like so many unwanted pounds thanks to the advent of weight-loss surgery. However, according to a recent study, these procedures may not a permanent solution to their problem. In about one-fifth of the individuals who elected to have the surgery, diabetes returned within about three to five years. This, of course, is definitely bad news for those folks who endured the many side effects in hopes that the procedure would give them a new lease on life.

In order to determine just how frequently the disease returns, researchers poured over the medical records of nearly 72 obese patients who were living with Type 2 diabetes at the time of their gastric bypass surgery. The results are a tad alarming.

Following the procedure, 66 patients soon said goodbye to their diabetes. Unfortunately, 14 of these individuals saw the disease return within five years time. However, those who did not experience another round of diabetes contributed their good luck to losing more weight following the procedure. These folks also kept a lower average weight than their counterparts.

The study also found that people who had diabetes for an extended period of time before embarking down the path of weight-loss surgery were more likely to see the disease return than those who had it for a much shorter period. As such, the sooner obese individuals address their weight and diabetes problems with weight-loss surgery, the higher the chance that they won’t see the disease return years later.

“Providers and patients need to be aware of this information, to have a better idea of the expected outcome and be able to make an informed decision about pursuing gastric bypass surgery,” lead author Dr. Yessica Ramos explained.

The study was recently presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Houston, Texas. Until the these findings have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, they should be considered as preliminary.