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Simultaneous Liver Transplantation and Sleeve Gastrectomy: Prohibitive Combination or a Necessity?

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Abstract

Previously, many morbidly obese (MO) patients were denied liver transplantation (LT) because of the higher operative risk. However, nowadays, 5 and 10 years graft survival is the rule, and patients whose lives can be prolonged with LT are dying of obesity-related comorbidities. Recent experience suggests that weight reduction in MO liver transplant recipients would improve their long-term survival. The bariatric surgery before LT is contraindicated for patients with decompensated cirrhosis, while post-transplant intervention is associated with increased technical difficulty. We present our experience with three patients who underwent simultaneous liver transplantation and sleeve gastrectomy. After a median 13 months follow-up, all patients are alive, having normal allograft function and significant weight loss. Combined liver transplantation with simultaneous sleeve gastrectomy appears technically feasible and relatively safe in selected patients.

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Correspondence to Andrei Keidar.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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All Affiliated with Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

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Nesher, E., Mor, E., Shlomai, A. et al. Simultaneous Liver Transplantation and Sleeve Gastrectomy: Prohibitive Combination or a Necessity?. OBES SURG 27, 1387–1390 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-017-2634-5

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