Vitamin Deficiency From Gastric Bypass Surgery

Every year, hundreds of thousands of gastric bypass surgeries are performed. Those numbers are expected to continue to rise right along with the rate of obesity. While these surgeries are considered the safe and effective, they do cause potentially dangerous side effects, including vitamin deficiency.

Vitamin B12

• About 30 percent of patients who have gastric bypass surgery end up developing a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Iron

• Iron is one of the nutrients which may not be properly absorbed by the body after gastric bypass surgery.

Calcium

• Many patients suffer from a condition called hypocalcemia, which is a calcium deficiency. The area of the digestive system where calcium is normally absorbed by the body is bypassed by the changes to the system caused by the surgery.

Vitamin D

• Along with calcium deficiencies, many gastric bypass patients also suffer from a lack of vitamin D. This deficiency can lead to a condition called hyperparathyroidism, which causes the release of too much of a certain type of hormone. The result is an increased risk of osteoporosis, abdominal pain, kidney stones, fatigue and memory problems.

Vitamin A

• As a result of the changes made by gastric bypass, patients may also not get enough vitamin A in their bodies. The results can be vision problems, including a reduction in night vision. Without enough vitamin A, patients can also be more likely to develop an infection.