Alcohol and poor compliance as factors in Wernicke's encephalopathy diagnosed 13 years after gastric bypass.

Abstract

A severely obese man achieved rapid and significant weight loss after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Thirteen years later Wernicke's encephalopathy developed as a result of the patient's alcoholism, poor compliance with his micronutrient intake, poor oral intake and the decreased absorptive ability of the small bowel. In selecting any operation to treat morbid obesity the possibility of metabolic problems must be considered as well as the potential for substantial weight loss.