Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy improves renal transplant candidacy and posttransplant outcomes in morbidly obese patients

Morbid obesity is a barrier to kidney transplantation due to inferior outcomes, including higher rates of new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT), delayed graft function (DGF), and graft failure. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) increases transplant eligibility by reducing BMI in kidney transplant candidates, but the effect of surgical weight loss on posttransplantation outcomes is unknown. Reviewing single-center medical records, we identified all patients who underwent LSG before kidney transplantation from 2011-2016 (n = 20). Post-LSG kidney recipients were compared with similar-BMI recipients who did not undergo LSG, using 2:1 direct matching for patient factors. McNemar's test and signed-rank test were used to compare groups. Among post-LSG patients, mean BMI ± standard deviation (SD) was 41.5 ± 4.4 kg/m² at initial encounter, which decreased to 32.3 ± 2.9 kg/m² prior to transplantation (P < .01). No complications, readmissions, or mortality occurred following LSG. After transplantation, one patient (5%) experienced DGF, and no patients experienced NODAT. Allograft and patient survival at 1-year posttransplantation was 100%. Compared with non-LSG patients, post-LSG recipients had lower rates of DGF (5% vs 20%) and renal dysfunction-related readmissions (10% vs 27.5%) (P < .05 each). Perioperative complications, allograft survival, and patient survival were similar between groups. These data suggest that morbidly obese patients with end-stage renal disease who undergo LSG to improve transplant candidacy, achieve excellent posttransplantation outcomes.