Prof. Dr. Şen: “There is a risk of foot drop syndrome in those who undergo gastric sleeve surgery”

Professor Dr. Orhan Şen, a specialist in Brain, Nerve, and Spinal Surgery, stated, “We often encounter a condition called foot drop syndrome in patients who undergo gastric sleeve surgery. It is generally observed in patients with herniated discs.”

Şen, in his statement, noted that patients who have undergone gastric sleeve surgery are at risk of foot drop syndrome. He explained, “Foot drop is a condition we frequently encounter in patients who have undergone gastric sleeve surgery. This means you cannot move your ankle. There is a loss of strength in your toes, inability to move your ankle, and you cannot lift your foot while walking, which is referred to as a ‘foot drop’.”

“Foot drop syndrome is very common in patients with herniated discs”

Şen pointed out that foot drop syndrome is seen in patients with herniated discs when there is significant compression on the nerve, and he continued:

“If a patient with a herniated disc has foot drop, emergency surgery is necessary. However, recently, due to rapid weight loss in gastric sleeve surgeries, there begins to be an abnormal loss of fat in the area around the knee. When this loss occurs, especially in those who sit for long periods and perform tasks by kneeling, foot drop syndrome develops. The fat pads in that area disappear due to weakness, causing the protective barrier around the nerve to be lost. As a result of this loss, damage to the peroneal nerve occurs in those who sit in kneeling positions or push with their knees against a table. This damage leads to foot drop. Since it is also seen in patients with herniated discs, when an MRI of the lumbar region is examined and if there is a hernia, it may be present in patients who go for surgery if the history is not well taken. Whether or not there is a herniated disc, if there is pain that starts from the hip and goes down without any pain below the knee and there is numbness, and if the person has had gastric sleeve surgery, the likelihood of foot drop related to it is high. If they did a test, it would already show this, and with physical therapy, these issues can be resolved, eliminating the need for surgery.