Even with normal blood sugar
after weight loss surgery, there is a continued need to monitor the progression
of diabetic retinopathy in order to prevent vision loss. What does weight loss
surgery have to do with diabetic retinopathy? Researchers reporting at the American Diabetes
Association on a small pilot study found weight-loss
surgery might accelerate progression of diabetic retinopathy in some cases. In
the study 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 impact 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. 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 has a question about the need for monitoring diabeticretinopathy even after weight loss surgery rendering blood sugar “normal,” please
call The Eye Care & Surgery Center at 908-789-8999, visit The Eye Care & Surgery Center or facebook.com/eyecareandsurgerycenter
to schedule an appointment.
With locations at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.
With locations at 592 Springfield Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey 07090, 10 Mountain Boulevard, Warren, New Jersey 07059 and 517 Route One South, Suite 1100, Iselin, New Jersey 08830, The Eye Care & Surgery Center is a leading NJ eye care practice conveniently located for patients from throughout central and northern New Jersey.
