Bariatric Surgery May Curb Diabetic Eye Disease Incidence but Worsen Existing Retinopathy
01/26/2021
Bariatric surgery was associated with fewer cases of diabetic retinopathy (DR), but early worsening was more severe in patients who already had the condition, a systematic review and meta-analysis reveals, according to a Reuters report.
“There are heavy debates in literature regarding whether bariatric surgery would be helpful for DR,” Dr. Yung Lee of McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, told Reuters Health by email. “(We found) that bariatric surgery lowered the risk of all DR by 83% and sight-threatening DR by 53% compared to medical management.”