COBALAMIN ABSORPTION AND HEMATOLOGIC STATUS AFTER 2 TYPES OF GASTRIC-SURGERY FOR OBESITY

A series of morbidly obese patients was treated surgically with a gastric bypass, and a subsequent series received a vertical banded gastroplasty. To compare some of the nutritional effects of these two procedures we measured serum vitamin B-12 levels, absorption of food vitamin B-12, frequency of microcytosis of erythrocytes, and frequency of anemia at one or more years after surgery. Patients with a gastric bypass showed greater weight loss, a greater frequency of microcytosis and anemia, more frequent subnormal serum levels of vitamin B-12, and impressive failure to absorb food vitamin B-12. Boiling the food containing vitamin B-12 led to increasd absorption.