Health
Study reinforces need for nutritional counseling after bariatric surgery
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 1, 2004
Bariatric surgery for morbid obesity was found to result in more peripheral neuropathy than did gallbladder surgery, according to a study published in the Oct. 26 issue of Neurology.
The conditions ranged in severity from the more common carpal tunnel syndrome to less common pain and weakness that led to wheelchair use for some patients.
The study also showed that good follow-up care and nutritional counseling can prevent the complications, said P. James B. Dyck, MD, principal investigator on the study and associate professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minn.
The study compared the charts of 435 people who had one of two types of bariatric surgery approved for treating morbid obesity with the charts of 123 obese patients who had gallbladder surgery.
The risk factors that correlated with peripheral neuropathy included very rapid weight loss, not taking vitamins and prolonged nausea and vomiting. Factors such as age, gender, presurgery body mass index and general health had no effect. "A major risk factor correlated with PN after surgery was failure to attend a nutritional clinic. The evidence was very strong that PN complications were associated with malnutrition," said Dr. Dyck.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/11/01/hlbf1101.htm.
