Lifelong vitamin B12 monitoring after gastrectomy: A case report of subacute combined degeneration with 8-year latency in an alcoholic

This case shows an unusually prolonged latency of SCD after total gastrectomy and is notable for the coexistence of 2 established risk factors: gastrectomy and chronic alcoholism. It emphasizes the importance of lifelong surveillance of vitamin B12 status to prevent avoidable and potentially irreversible neurologic complications in high-risk populations.