Obesity surgery could impair your eyesight

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Vitamin A deficiency and poor eyesight may be a consequence of intestinal surgery, according to a new study.
Doctors at Baylor School of Medicine report on some surprise findings of poor eyesight and night blindness among three patients attending a specialist eye clinic. It turned out that all the patients had had extensive intestinal surgery during the previous year. Further tests showed that the three had vitamin A deficiency, even though they were on supplements. Vitamin A deficiency is rare in developed countries and is a major cause of childhood blindness in developing countries because of malnutrition.

Vitamin A injections improved the patients vision within days, so at least the condition is reversible. The operations included intestinal bypass, removal of tissue because of inflammatory bowel disease, and gallbladder removal. Vitamin A is normally absorbed through the small intestine so maybe the surgery interferes with this process. The researchers fear that we may see more of this vitamin A deficiency, as gastric banding – to treat obesity – becomes increasingly popular.

Source
British Journal of Ophthalmology online first 13th June 2006

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