Effects of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy on Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis and Liver Fibrosis in Japanese Patients with Severe Obesity.

Abstract

The prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in Japanese patients with severe obesity is extremely high. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the metabolic and histological effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) on NASH and liver fibrosis in Japanese patients with severe obesity. Between June 2008 and March 2019, all 79 patients with severe obesity who underwent LSG were included in the study. Sixty-eight patients had an intraoperative liver biopsy performed at the time of LSG. Ultrasound-guided liver biopsies were performed in patients with fibrosis at 12months after LSG. NASH was present in 43 patients (63.2%), and 10 patients had a unique feature in which their fibrosis were observed without steatosis at the time of LSG. Of the 28 patients with NASH, 25 showed improvement and no longer met the diagnostic criteria of NASH at 12months after LSG. Mean pericellular fibrosis scores showed significant improvement from 1.62 at baseline, to 1.50, 1.00, and 0.78, respectively (p < 0.001). Univariate analysis of the preoperative predictors in the improvement of fibrosis showed significant effects in preoperative weight (p = 0.037), HbA1c (p = 0.037), and serum insulin (p = 0.037). Multivariate analysis revealed HbA1c to be the only preoperative predictor of improvement in fibrosis (p = 0.004; odds ratio 0.440, 95% CI 0.229-0.842). LSG has great potential as an effective treatment for patients with NASH.