Question:
Does WLS effect RetinitisPigmentosa ?

I am a 43 y/o/ female researching WLS. I am in the early stages of a retinal degenerative disease, "Retinitis Pigmentosa". Does anyone know if the extreme stress of WLS on the body increases the rate of deterioraton of the retinas of patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa.    — [Anonymous] (posted on October 18, 2000)

October 24, 2000
I would contact a retinal specialist in your area and ask. They are usually very helpful. They may want to speak to your surgeon about the procedure. Good Luck
   — S.A. C.

July 18, 2003
Hi. Really interesting question. My husband has x-linked RP. Like his 2 brothers with the disease (as well as his mother & sister who are carriers with aspects of the disease), he has tried every dietary suggestion to treat it. Nothing has worked. And that includes massive doses of vitamin A. Supposedly, vitamin A helps to slow the deterioration of the retina. But it's also taxic to the body in high doses. It seems that the only help has come to his brother who had the chip implanted last November. Yes, he was involved in a trial, and no, not everybody can have the procedure yet. But he can SEE with that eye now. Anyway, his doc is at the University of Illinois hospital in Chicago. He is one of the few RP specialists in this country. He never expected my husband's disease to improve through diet. And it never has. I guess that my point is this: WLS is unlikely to have any effect on RP. Nothing dietary helps it, so why should it hurt it? I don't mean to sound too negative. My husband has a rampant form of the disease, and he's known about it since birth. You may have better luck with RP, since you recently started experiencing symptoms. Maybe it isn't so severe. I hope that you don't worry too much. There were recent studies re: a capsule that was implanted near the retina. The time-released meds slowed and even REDUCED the deterioration. I hope that this therapy is explored further. I'm sure that you've been there, but you can visit blindness.org for all kinds of RP info. By the way, my husband has 70% loss of vision, is a computer programmer and project manager, an excellent amateur chef (boohoo for me -- no more yummy, rich food after surgery), a 5th degree black belt, and one of the funniest people in the world. RP hasn't ruined his life.
   — Annie H.