NEFERTITI
March 13, 2007, 08:22 PM
IS IT WORTH IT????????????
Frequent vomiting after surgery can lead to the syndrome
Weight loss surgery could lead to a condition which can result in memory loss, according to US research.
The syndrome - Wernicke encephalopathy - affects the nervous system and brain, and can lead to confusion and the inability to co-ordinate movement.
The study, published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, says the syndrome is caused by a lack of vitamin B1, or thiamine.
Frequent vomiting after surgery can lead to the syndrome, the study found.
Clearly we need to note this report... but I don't think it should lead to a knee-jerk rejection
Dr Colin Waine, National Obesity Forum
The researchers identified 32 cases of Wernicke encephalopathy after obesity surgery, 27 involving women.
The report says it is not clear if the condition is more common in women, or if there were more cases in women because 75% of obesity surgery patients are female.
Dr Colin Waine, of the National Obesity Forum, urged against avoidance of weight loss surgery, for those most in need.
"Clearly we need to note this report and we must be aware of it but I don't think it should lead to a knee-jerk rejection," he said.
"The results of weight loss surgery can be very good.
"Some people are so at risk that they are going to die from other causes without surgery.
"The risk of encephalopathy is probably much less than the risk they are facing from obesity."
Frequent vomiting after surgery can lead to the syndrome
Weight loss surgery could lead to a condition which can result in memory loss, according to US research.
The syndrome - Wernicke encephalopathy - affects the nervous system and brain, and can lead to confusion and the inability to co-ordinate movement.
The study, published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, says the syndrome is caused by a lack of vitamin B1, or thiamine.
Frequent vomiting after surgery can lead to the syndrome, the study found.
Clearly we need to note this report... but I don't think it should lead to a knee-jerk rejection
Dr Colin Waine, National Obesity Forum
The researchers identified 32 cases of Wernicke encephalopathy after obesity surgery, 27 involving women.
The report says it is not clear if the condition is more common in women, or if there were more cases in women because 75% of obesity surgery patients are female.
Dr Colin Waine, of the National Obesity Forum, urged against avoidance of weight loss surgery, for those most in need.
"Clearly we need to note this report and we must be aware of it but I don't think it should lead to a knee-jerk rejection," he said.
"The results of weight loss surgery can be very good.
"Some people are so at risk that they are going to die from other causes without surgery.
"The risk of encephalopathy is probably much less than the risk they are facing from obesity."