A recent study revealed a negative impact of weight loss surgeries, represented by the possibility of increasing the risk of epilepsy.

The study, published in the journal "Neuroscience" and conducted by researchers from Western University in Canada, stated that individuals who underwent weight loss surgery were 45 percent more likely to develop epilepsy compared to those who did not undergo such procedures.

Also, those who suffered a stroke after weight loss surgery were 14 times more likely to develop epilepsy compared to those who did not have a stroke.

For the study, researchers collected data from 17,000 people who underwent obesity surgery over 6 years and compared these patients with more than 622,000 obese patients who did not have these surgeries; participants were followed up for 3 years.

The researchers found that during that time, 73 individuals who had obesity surgery developed epilepsy (0.4 percent), compared to 1,260 people who did not undergo the surgery (0.2 percent).

The researchers also found that the risk of developing epilepsy remained the same regardless of the type of weight loss surgery the patient underwent, including gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy.

Commenting on the study results, researcher and professor of neuroscience at Western University, George Bornio, said: "Patients considering weight loss surgery should discuss the benefits and risks of obesity surgery with their doctor."

He added: "It is important to note that although the risk of epilepsy after obesity surgery increases, it remains very low, i.e., 16 cases per 100,000 patients."

Bornio explained that it is unclear why obesity surgery is associated with an increased risk of epilepsy, adding: "The main mechanism causing this is unknown, but potential mechanisms may include nutritional deficiencies and exposure to general anesthesia," according to the UPI news agency.