Cervical Myelopathy and Peripheral Polyneuropathy in a 26-Year-Old Female Following Bariatric Surgery

The frequency, clinical course, and prognosis of the neurological sequelae following bariatric surgery remain obscure and continue to be a subject of medical research. We present the case of a 26-year-old female who underwent sleeve gastrectomy for the treatment of obesity and demonstrated progressive neurological deficits within months of her procedure. Extensive testing revealed very low thiamine and copper levels, peripheral polyneuropathy, and spinal cord lesions on imaging. She was treated with intravenous copper and thiamine and was admitted to the rehabilitation unit. Eighteen months following her admission, she achieved complete recovery. Previous studies have reported neurological complications following bariatric surgery in 1.1-8.6% of cases. Some of the most common nutritional deficiencies involve copper, iron, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins B1, B12, D, and E. Patients may experience central and peripheral neurological deficits following bariatric surgery. Fortunately, a path to recovery exists and it involves both pharmacological and rehabilitative treatment.