Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly recognized cause of chronic liver disease with the potential to progress to cirrhosis. Given the association between NAFLD and obesity, bariatric surgeons are increasingly being asked to consider cirrhotic patients as potential surgical candidates.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective cohort study using ACS-NSQIP Participant Use File 2005–2011 to identify patients with cirrhosis undergoing elective bariatric procedures.
Results:
Eleven patients were identified as having a bariatric procedure in the setting of cirrhosis. Eight of the 11 patients (72.7%) had evidence of ascites, while seven (63.6%) had evidence of esophageal varices. Five patients underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, while five underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric band and one laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy. The mean length of stay was 2.1 days. One patient had an unexpected return to the operating room, while another patient had a postoperative urinary tract infection. No other postoperative complications or mortalities were identified within 30 days of surgery.
Conclusions:
Bariatric surgery was performed with minimal 30-day morbidity and no mortality in a select cohort of obese patients with cirrhosis.
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