Liver Transplantation in Recipients With Class III Obesity: Posttransplant Outcomes and Weight Gain

Morbid Obesity and Liver Transplant

BACKGROUND

The progressive increase in the prevalence of morbid obesity (MO) in the general population is a pressing issue. This rise in MO has also been observed in patients with liver disease who are candidates for liver transplantation (LT).

METHODS

A retrospective study of a single-center series was conducted to analyze the impact of MO on morbidity, mortality, and patient survival after LT.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 40 kg/m2 (mean 40.4 ± 2.99 SD) were transplanted from 2004 to 2023. Thirteen were 13 men (87%) and 2 women (13%), with a mean age of 55 years (±9). The most common indication for LT was liver cirrhosis (93%: 6 alcohol related, 4 hepatitis C virus [HCV] related, and 3 from other causes), and only one case was due to hepatocellular carcinoma in a non-cirrhotic liver (7%). The median stay in the Intensive Care Unit was 5 days (range 2-52), with a median total hospital stay of 15 days (range 10-103). Five patients had a major complication each (≥ IIIa on the Clavien-Dindo scale): liver re-transplantation due to primary graft failure, reoperation due to hemoperitoneum, late superior mesenteric vein (SMV) thrombosis, acute renal failure that required hemodialysis, and surgical wound infection that required drainage. The only patient who required urgent re-transplantation (7%) had an adequate subsequent recovery without other complications. None of the patients underwent obesity surgery pre-, post-, or concurrently with the LT. Patient and graft survival after 5 years was 97%.

CONCLUSIONS

In our experience, the outcomes of LT in patients with MO were satisfactory in terms of postoperative morbimortality, as well as in patient survival. Therefore, we do not support the notion of considering MO as a contraindication for LT.

Post liver transplant short term and survival outcomes in patients living with obesity

The objectives of our study were to examine and compare patient and graft survival over a 5-year period across BMI groups, and examine immediate and short-term complications post-LT. This was a retrospective study that examined all liver transplants that occurred at our institution between January 2015-October 2022. Patients were divided into 4 BMI groups (n = 888): normal-overweight (BMI 18.5- 29.9 kg/m2), class I obesity (BMI 30-34.9 kg/m2), class II obesity (BMI 35-39.9 kg/m2), and class III obesity (BMI ≥40 kg/m2) patients. Kaplan Meier curves with the log rank test were created to assess survival outcomes and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed. Patient and graft survival did not differ statistically between each BMI group. However, patient survival was significantly lower in patients with BMI ≥40 compared to patients with BMI <40. In multivariate analysis, BMI ≥40, admission to the ICU, and age were independent predictors of increased risk of mortality. Infection, arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, and myocardial infarction were more frequent immediate complications in the class III obesity group. Efforts to closely monitor patients with BMI ≥40 post LT to maximize survival are needed. Further studies are needed to improve post LT survival among patients with BMI ≥40.

How best to combine liver transplantation and bariatric surgery?-Results from a global, web-based survey

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Obesity is a growing healthcare challenge worldwide and a significant risk factor for liver failure as seen with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Combining metabolic-bariatric surgery (MBS) with liver transplantation (LT) appears as attractive strategy to treat both, the underlying liver disease and obesity. However, there is an ongoing debate on best timing and patient selection. This survey was designed to explore the current treatment practice for patients with NASH and obesity worldwide.

METHODS

A web-based survey was conducted in 2022 among bariatric and LT surgeons, and hepatologists from Europe, North and South America and Asia.

RESULTS

The survey completion rate was 74% (145/196). The average respondents were 41-50 years (38%), male (82.1%) and had >20 years of clinical experience (42.1%). Centres with a high LT-caseload for NASH were mainly located in the USA and United Kingdom. Almost 30% have already performed a combination of LT with MBS and 49% plan to do it. A majority of bariatric surgeons prefer MBS before LT (77.2%), whereas most of LT surgeons (52%) would perform MBS during LT. Most respondents (n = 114; 80%) favour sleeve gastrectomy over other bariatric techniques. One third (n = 42; 29.4%) has an established protocol regarding MBS for LT candidates.

CONCLUSION

The most experienced centres doing LT for NASH are in the USA and United Kingdom with growing awareness worldwide. Overall, a combination of MBS and LT has already been performed by a third of respondents. Sleeve gastrectomy is the bariatric technique of choice-preferably performed either before or during LT.

Current Status of Liver Transplantation in North America

Liver transplantation indications continue to evolve in North America. Several recent changes have occurred in the field with changes in the allocation system, new performance metrics, expansion of transplant oncology, and utilization of ex vivo perfusion devices and techniques. Deceased donor liver transplantation continues to be the primary modality of liver transplantation in North America, with an ongoing focus on advancing the use of living donor liver transplantation, especially in those patients who may not have favorable access to deceased donor allografts.

The causes of death in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis following liver transplantation stratified using pre-liver transplant BMI

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Determining the effects of pre-liver transplant (LT) BMI independent of underlying ascites on the post-LT outcomes of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is needed to clarify the paradoxical and protective effects of obesity on post-LT endpoints. In order to accomplish this, we used graded severities of ascites to stratify the NASH-LT population and to perform an ascites-specific strata analysis with differing pre-LT BMI levels.

METHODS

2005-2019 United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Standard Transplant Analysis and Research (STAR) database was queried to select patients with NASH, who were categorized into specific sets of ascites severity: no ascites (n = 1188), mild ascites (n = 4463), and moderate ascites (n = 3525). Then, BMI classification (underweight: < 18.5, normal: 18.5-25, overweight: 25-30, obese: ≥ 30 kg/m2) was used to stratify each ascites-specific group and to compare to the post-LT mortality endpoints. Those under 18 years old and those who received living/multi-organ transplants were excluded.

RESULTS

Among each ascites category, there were the following numbers of normal, underweight, overweight, and obese BMI patients respectively; no ascites: 161, 4, 359, 664; mild ascites: 643, 28, 1311, 2481; and moderate ascites: 529, 25, 1030, 1941. The obese BMI cohort was at a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to recipients with normal BMI with mild ascites (aHR: 0.79, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.65-0.94, p-value = 0.010; case-incidence 47.10 vs 56.81 deaths per 1000 person-years) and moderate ascites (aHR: 0.77, 95% CI 0.63-0.94, p-value = 0.009; case-incidence 53.71 vs 66.17 deaths per 1000 person-years). In addition, the overweight BMI cohort with mild ascites demonstrated a lower hazard of all-cause mortality (aHR: 0.80, 95% CI 0.66-0.97, p-value = 0.03; case-incidence 49.09 vs 56.81 deaths per 1000 person-years). There was no difference in graft failure for the three BMI groups (underweight, overweight, and obese) in comparison to normal BMI. Furthermore, the overweight BMI group with mild ascites cohort demonstrated a lower hazard of death due to general infectious causes (aHR: 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.83, p = 0.006; case-incidence 6.12 vs 11.91 deaths per 1000 person-years) and sepsis (aHR: 0.49, 95% CI 0.27-0.86, p = 0.01; case-incidence 4.31 vs 8.50 deaths per 1000 person-years).

CONCLUSION

The paradoxical effects of obesity in reducing the risks of all-cause death appears to be in part modulated by ascites. The current study emphasizes the need to evaluate BMI with concomitant ascites severity pre-LT to accurately prognosticate post-LT outcomes when evaluating NASH patients with advanced liver disease.