Case Report of Wernicke's Encephalopathy After Sleeve Gastrectomy

Background: We report a case of a patient who was 3 months post-sleeve gastrectomy and presented with acute stroke symptoms ultimately due to Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) after bariatric surgery. A 20-year-old white female presented to an outside hospital 3 months after sleeve gastrectomy complaining of nausea and vomiting. She initially underwent a cholecystectomy and later became less responsive and required intubation. Magnetic resonance imaging changes, presumed to be an acute stroke, prompted her transfer to our facility. Intravenous (IV) thiamin was administered, and the patient's symptoms improved over the course of her hospital stay. Results: Thiamin levels were markedly low, and the patient rapidly improved with the administration of IV thiamin. The patient was discharged to inpatient rehabilitation. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery is a less common cause of WE but can lead to acute WE due to malabsorption of thiamin. In patients undergoing bariatric surgery, clinicians should be vigilant about the potential for WE to occur. In addition, based on history, WE should be considered in the differential diagnosis for symptoms of acute ischemic stroke.