The Use of Noninvasive Scores in Predicting NAFLD Progression After Bariatric Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery has been postulated to impact liver function resulting in favorable effects on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to analyze the long-term impact of bariatric surgery on noninvasive scores predicting the progression of liver fibrosis in a bariatric population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients without pre-existing liver disease who underwent sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) at our center between 2010 and 2018. Four predictive scores for liver fibrosis (AST/ALT, APRI, Fib-4, and BARD) were calculated preoperatively, 6 months post-operatively, and annually up to 5 years. Correlations were analyzed with Pearson R. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed to identify populations at increased risk. RESULTS: A total of 2769 patients were included. The mean age was 40 years, and the majority was females (88.5%) and of Hispanic ethnicity (59.2%). There was a steady post-operative increase in the percentage of patients at increased risk of progression of liver fibrosis. The Fib-4 score showed the largest increase in the population at risk for liver fibrosis (11.3% preoperatively to 28.9% at 5 years). Patients with diabetes and those who underwent a sleeve gastrectomy continued to display a higher risk for liver fibrosis than did patients without diabetes and those who underwent RYGB, respectively. CONCLUSION: There was an overall trend to increased liver fibrosis scores over the 5-year post-operative follow-up, but this increase remained lower than that reported in previous literature. Bariatric surgery offers NAFLD risk reduction in a high-risk population.

Weight Loss Outcomes following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy in an Ethnically Diverse Bariatric Population: Which Is More Effective?

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) have comparable weight loss outcomes in a general bariatric population. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate whether similar outcomes can be observed in Hispanic and African American population. Settings. Community Hospital in New York, New York, United States. METHODS: The 5-year prospective data of patients who underwent LRYGB and LSG at a single center were retrospectively reviewed. The long-term weight loss outcomes between patients who had LRYGB and LSG were compared after adjusting for age, sex, race, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension with the linear mixed-effects or logistic regression model. RESULTS: Most patients were Hispanic (59.2%) and African American (22.7%). The mean% total weight loss (%TWL) values of patients with BMI <45 kg/m2 who underwent LRYGB and LSG were 73% and 62% after 1 year, 69% and 56% after 2 years, and 71% and 54% after 5 years, respectively. In patients with a BMI of 45-50 kg/m2 who underwent LRYGB and LSG, the mean %TWL values were 69% and 56% after 1 year, 75% and 58% after 2 years, and 57% and 45% after 5 years, respectively. Meanwhile, the %TWL values of patients with BMI >50 kg/m2 who had LRYGB and LSG were 53% and 42% after 1 year, 53% and 45% after 2 years, and 49% and 36% after 5 years, respectively. All results were statistically significant (p < 0.0001) and remained valid after adjusting for cofactors. CONCLUSION: Thus, LRYGB had consistent and sustained long-term weight loss outcomes compared with LSG in a predominantly ethnically diverse patient population with different BMI. Our study had several limitations in that it is retrospective in nature and some patients were lost to follow-up during the study period.

Improvement in glycated hemoglobin A1C after laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy in an ethnically diverse population with diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a well-known risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. The efficacy of bariatric surgery in reducing weight with resulting improvement in type 2 diabetes has been reliably demonstrated. OBJECTIVES: We investigated and compared the effects of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) on glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels in a predominantly Hispanic and black population. SETTINGS: Community Hospital in New York, New York, United States. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of a 5-year data from a single center where patients with diabetes who underwent LRYGB or LSG were included. HbA1C levels and body mass index were analyzed preoperatively and then annually postoperatively for up to 5 years. Improvements in HbA1C were compared between the 2 groups after adjusting for age, sex, race, and hypertension with linear mixed-effects or logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of the 676 included patients, 84.8% were females and the mean age was 47 years. HbA1C levels decreased significantly (P < .05) in the entire group at 1 (21%), 2 (20%), 3 (20%), 4 (18%), and 5 (14%) years. Compared with LSG, LRYGB patients displayed greater improvement in HbA1C levels at 1 year (25% versus 17%, P = .001). The differences in the reduction of HbA1C between LRYGB and LSG for the other time intervals were not significant (P > .05), 24% versus 17% (2 yr), 22% versus 16% (3 yr), 22% versus 13% (4 yr), and 17% versus 10% (5 yr). Changes in body mass index were not correlated to changes in HbA1C at various study points. CONCLUSION: Both LRYGB and LSG resulted in significant decreases in HbA1C levels and are correlated with changes in body mass index. LRYGB had the greatest effect at 1 year postoperatively. There was no significant difference in HbA1C reduction for LRYGB and LSG after 1 year postoperatively in this predominantly Hispanic and black cohort.