“There is a danger of low foot syndrome in those with sleeve gastrectomy”

Brain, Nerve and Spinal Cord Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Orhan Şen said, “We often encounter a condition called low foot syndrome in patients who have undergone sleeve gastrectomy surgery. It is usually seen in herniated disc patients.”

In his statement, Şen stated that patients who undergo sleeve gastrectomy surgery are in danger of 'low foot syndrome'. Şen said, “It is the discomfort we call low foot, which we frequently encounter in patients with sleeve gastrectomy surgery. So you cannot move your ankle. Loss of strength in your fingers, inability to move in the ankle and you cannot lift it from the ankle while walking, which we call horse gait. This disease is called low foot,” he said.

“Low foot syndrome is very common in herniated disc patients”

Stating that low foot syndrome is usually seen in lumbar hernia patients if there is an advanced degree of compression in the nerve, Şen continued as follows:

“If there is a low foot in herniated disc patients, urgent surgery is required. However, recently, since there is a rapid weight loss in the body in general in sleeve gastrectomy surgeries, an abnormal loss of fat in the area where the knee level is located begins. When this loss occurs, low foot syndrome develops, especially in those who sit for a long time and do work kneeling. As the fat pads there disappear due to weight loss, the protective barrier around the nerve disappears. Due to this loss, those who sit in kneeling positions or when pushing a table with their knees, a damage called peroneal nerve occurs. As a result of this damage, low foot emerges. Since it is also seen together in lumbar hernia patients, there are patients who go to surgery if the history is not taken well when the lumbar MRI is examined and if there is a hernia. Whether or not there is a herniated disc there, if there is no pain starting from the hip and going down, if there is pain and numbness below the knee, if there is pain and numbness below the knee, if there has been gastric sleeve surgery, there is a high probability of low foot due to this. If they have done a test, this is already revealed and with physical therapy, these come back again and there is no need for surgery.”