Clinical insights into management options for recurrent type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk after metabolic-bariatric surgery

Sustained weight loss with semaglutide once weekly in patients without type 2 diabetes and post-bariatric treatment failure

About 20%-25% of patients experience weight regain (WR) or insufficient weight loss (IWL) following bariatric surgery (BS). Therefore, we aimed to retrospectively assess the effectiveness of adjunct treatment with semaglutide in patients without type 2 diabetes (T2D) with post-bariatric treatment failure over a 12 months period. Post-bariatric patients without T2D with WR or IWL (n = 29) were included in the analysis. The primary endpoint was weight loss 12 months after initiation of adjunct treatment. Secondary endpoints included change in body mass index, HbA1c, lipid profile, high sensitive C-reactive protein and liver enzymes. Total weight loss during semaglutide treatment added up to 14.7% ± 8.9% (mean ± SD, p < .001) after 12 months. Categorical weight loss was >5% in 89.7% of patients, >10% in 62.1% of patients, >15% in 34.5% of patients, >20% in 24.1% of patients and > 25% in 17.2% of patients. Adjunct treatment with semaglutide resulted in sustained weight loss regardless of sex, WR or IWL and type of surgery. Among patients with prediabetes (n = 6), 12 months treatment led to normoglycemia in all patients (p < .05). Treatment options to manage post-bariatric treatment failure are scarce. Our results imply a clear benefit of adjunct treatment with semaglutide in post-bariatric patients over a 12 months follow-up period.

Impact of Chronic Immunosuppression on Short-, Mid-, and Long-Term Bariatric Surgery Outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Bariatric surgical outcomes depend heavily on proper healing of gastrointestinal anatomy, metabolic alterations, and patient lifestyle modifications which are all negatively impacted by immunosuppression and underlying inflammatory diseases. There is a lack of literature exploring how patients with diseases requiring immunosuppression respond to bariatric surgical intervention in the long term.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of chronically immunosuppressed patients who underwent primary bariatric surgeries at Mayo Clinic was conducted (2008-2020). Data collected included patient demographics, BMI, underlying disease, and immunosuppression regimen and complications at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 60 months.

RESULTS

We identified a total of 89 (RYGB = 49, SG = 34, BPD/DS = 6) patients on chronic immunosuppression who underwent bariatric surgery at our center. RYGB (N = 49), 38.2% had a SG (N = 34) and 6.7% had a BPD/DS (N = 6). Rheumatoid arthritis and renal transplantation were the most underlying condition at 20.22% each (N = 18). There were a total of 2 (2.25%) intraoperative complications. In the immediate post-operative period, there were 15 (16.5%) minor complications. In follow-up, 6.1% of RYGB patients experienced marginal ulcerations, while no gastrointestinal leaks occurred. The mean pre-surgical BMI was 48.29 kg/m² (SD = 18.41). Percent total weight loss (%TWL) and BMI reduction were 30.89% and 14.83 kg/m² (SD = 9.07) at 12 months and 29.48% and 14.43 kg/m² (SD = 13.46) at 60 months, respectively. The mean follow-up time was 30.49 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Bariatric surgery remains safe and effective therapy for chronically immunosuppressed patients with excellent long-term outcomes for patients with moderate to severe obesity.

The Impact of Bariatric-Surgery-Induced Weight Loss on Patients Undergoing Liver Transplant: A Focus on Metabolism, Pathophysiological Changes, and Outcome in Obese Patients Suffering NAFLD-Related Cirrhosis

Because of their condition, patients with morbid obesity develop several histopathological changes in the liver, such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease (ESLD). Hence, a liver transplant (LT) becomes an opportune solution for them. Due to many challenges during the perioperative and postoperative periods, these patients are recommended to lose weight before the surgery. There are many proposals to achieve this goal, such as intragastric balloons and many different bariatric surgery (BS) procedures in combination with a preparation diet (very-low-calorie diet, ketogenic diet, etc.). All the interventions focus on losing weight and keeping the continuity and functionality of the digestive tract to avoid postoperative complications. Thus, this review analyzes recent publications regarding the metabolic and pathophysiological impacts of BS in LT patients suffering from NAFLD-related cirrhosis, the effect of weight loss on postoperative complications, and exposes the cost-effectiveness of performing BS before, after, and at liver transplantation. Finally, the authors recommend BS before the LT since there are many positive effects and better outcomes for patients who lose weight before the procedure. Nevertheless, further multicentric studies are needed to determine the generalizability of these recommendations due to their impact on public health.