Wernicke’s encephalopathy after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy

Bariatric surgery is one of the causes of Wernicke's encephalopathy. It is more frequent in techniques with malabsorption and less common in surgeries such as sleeve gastrectomy. We present the case of a 48-year-old patient with a body mass index of 55 who, after a sleeve gastrectomy with cholecystectomy, suffered an episode of prolonged vomiting and was hospitalised with confusion, amnesia and limb weakness associated with low thiamine levels. After a diagnosis based on clinical manifestations and low blood thiamine levels, treatment with intravenous thiamine was started with an adequate evolution. Clinical suspicion is essential for prompt treatment to reduce the risk of serious sequelae or death.