What does weight loss surgery
have to do with diabetic retinopathy? As it turns out if you have diabetes and
diabetic retinopathy, even if you have successful weight loss surgery and
normal blood glucose-you still need regular eye exams to monitor the
progression or stability of diabetic retinopathy.
Researchers reporting at the American Diabetes Association found weight-loss surgery might accelerate progression of
diabetic retinopathy in some cases. In the study, 7 of the 40 or 17.5% of the
diabetes patients screened about a year before and again after bariatric
surgery suffered a progression of their diabetic retinopathy as compared with
the 2% to 4% of the overall diabetes patients who develop retinopathy each year.
The opposite effect might have been
expected. If you have a condition such as diabetic retinopathy that is the
result of the diabetes and the diabetes is in remission, it makes intuitive
sense that the progression of the condition would be arrested. Although a few
patients did appear to have regression of their eye disease most remained
unchanged after surgery in the study.
The patients who did progress had higher
pre-surgical glucose levels and the greatest reduction in glucose levels
afterward. A rapid reduction in blood glucose after the weight loss
surgery-which is called “normoglycemic re-entry” or a temporary anemic episode
after the weight loss surgery may actually be responsible for in the
progression of preexisting diabetic retinopathy, but the mechanism is really
unclear and requires a great deal of further investigation.
One
fact for sure-even if after weight loss surgery your blood glucose is normal,
people with moderate background diabetic retinopathy prior to weight loss
surgery should be monitored closely post-surgery for evidence of progression.
If you or someone you know is
having weight loss surgery and is diabetic and has diabetic retinopathy, please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113, visit Doctor & Associates in
Fairfield County or facebook.com/doctorandassociates to schedule an appointment
for regular eye exams to monitor any progression of diabetic retinopathy.
Doctor & Associates is a
leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice with offices at 129 Kings Highway North,
Westport, Connecticut 06880, 195 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut 06897 and
148 East Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut 06851.
