"Sleeve Gastrectomy May Be Better Than Gastric Bypass For NASH Patients" - Marilynn Larkin
Patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) may be more vulnerable to early transient deterioration of liver function after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) than after sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Scott Friedman, MD, dean of therapeutic discovery and chief of the division of liver diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai said, “The reasons for the advantage of SG over RYGB are not entirely clear; however, there were slightly more females in the SG group – females tend to have less advanced NASH if they are premenopausal – and slightly more inflammation in the biopsies in the RYGB group, which would increase liver damage.” The findings “reinforce the overall safety and short-term benefit of bariatric surgery to achieve weight loss in patients with fatty liver disease, provided that there is not yet cirrhosis, which increases the risk of surgery significantly,” Dr. Friedman added.
- Scott Friedman, MD, Dean, Therapeutic Discovery, Chief of the Division, Liver Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai