Study finds long-term health benefits from bariatric surgery and liver transplant
The percentage of liver transplant candidates in the U.S. with obesity continues to climb, with more than 41% of candidates having a body mass index above 30 in 2022. Obesity puts people at risk of developing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It's a condition where excess fat accumulates in the liver, which can lead to inflammation, scarring and advanced liver disease. Patients with a body mass index of 40 are more likely to be denied a transplant due to their weight.
'Since MASLD is a leading cause of liver failure, it only makes sense to protect the precious, lifegiving new liver from the same damage that led to the patient needing a transplant in the first place. Safely combining the two procedures protects the transplanted liver and can provide profound health benefits to these patients,' says Todd Kellogg, M.D., Mayo Clinic bariatric surgeon and the study's co-author.
What about using new prescription medications for weight loss?
New weight loss medications, such as GLP-1s, are being used to help some pre-transplant and post-transplant patients manage their weight. Still, Mayo Clinic experts say bariatric surgery remains an important option for patients with severe obesity due to its safety, proven effectiveness and lasting results. Another recent Mayo study related to kidney transplant patients supports this.
'The patients that we're talking about really have a significant amount of extra weight. The issue with the GLP-1 medications is they are effective in terms of weight loss as well as other benefits which are being identified, but they may not get these patients with severe obesity to their lasting goal of a healthier weight,' Dr. Heimbach says.
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