Abdominal Surgery Could Cause Vision Changes

Many people suffering from obesity turn to gastric bypass surgery as a weight loss solution. The procedure is not without its risks and resulting problems. Vitamin deficiencies are a side effect of gastric bypass surgery as well as other abdominal surgeries. A deficiency in Vitamin A may result in night blindess years after the surgery. The British Journal of Opthalmology published the report. It documented everyone who came to one particualr eye clinic during the course of a year. A vitamin A deficiency was found in four subjects who were complaining of different degrees of limited night vision. All four had undergone abdominal surgery. Two of them had undergone bypass surgery. Abdominal surgeries have long been known to cause vitamin deficiencies. Vitamin A is not as easily absorbed as other vitamins because it is a fat-soluble vitamin. Vitamin A is most concentrated in the eyes. This is where the physical symptoms of the deficiency most readily show by manifesting as night blindness. The results of the study suggest that those people who have undergone some type of abdominal surgery need to stay vigilant for symptoms of Vitamin A deficiency in the future. Andrea Schumann Staff Writer