According to recent research, a deficiency in vitamin B1 , or thiamine, can be a severe complication after gastric bypass surgery.
During the study, a 35-year-old woman experienced many complications after the surgery for obesity. Complications included nausea, anorexia, tiredness, hearing loss, forgetfulness, and inability to coordinate muscle movements (ataxia).
According to recent research, a deficiency in vitamin B1 , or thiamine, can be a severe complication after gastric bypass surgery.
During the study, a 35-year-old woman experienced many complications after the surgery for obesity. Complications included nausea, anorexia, tiredness, hearing loss, forgetfulness, and inability to coordinate muscle movements (ataxia).
An MRI scan discovered abnormal signals in different parts of the woman’s brain, which indicated a deficiency in vitamin B1. It can lead to Wernicke encephalopathy (a severe neurological condition) if it is not treated. Vitamin B1 is necessary for carbohydrate metabolism and normal functioning of the nervous system.
A follow-up MRI scan showed the abnormal signals reduced, 11 days after her dose of vitamin B1 was increased. Raul N. Mandler, M.D., a Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and a neurologist at The George Washington University in Washington, says, “The neurological complications following gastric bypass surgery are diverse.”
“Vitamin B1 deficiency and Wernicke encephalopathy should be carefully considered in surgically treated obese people,” Dr. Mandler says.
