ArticleObesity surgery2020
Safety and Utility of Liver Biopsy During Bariatric Surgery in the New Zealand Setting.
Article in Obesity surgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Guideline
- National trend and impact of compensated cirrhosis in patients who underwent metabolic and bariatric surgery: a Nationwide Readmissions Database study.Surgical endoscopy · 2026Article
- Concomitant Liver Biopsy During Bariatric Surgery: No Increase in Major Complications or Readmissions but Associated with Higher Transfusion Requirements - An Analysis of the MBSAQIP Database.Obesity surgery · 2025Article
- Observational
- Safety of liver biopsy at the time of bariatric surgery: an analysis of the MBSAQIP database.Surgical endoscopy · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAsymptomatic liver disease is common in bariatric patients and can be diagnosed with intraoperative biopsy. This study aimed to establish the risk-benefit profile of routine liver biopsy, prevalence of clinically significant liver disease, relationship between liver pathology and body mass index, and compare outcomes between ethnic groups.
methodsThis retrospective cohort study included all patients who had index bariatric surgery at Auckland City Hospital between 2009 and 2016. Diagnosis of liver disease was based on intraoperative biopsy histology. Outcomes included safety (biopsy-related complication) and utility (liver pathology meeting criteria for referral). Liver pathology and referral rates were compared between ethnic groups.
resultsOf 335 bariatric surgery patients, 234 (70%) underwent intraoperative liver biopsy. There were no biopsy-related complications. Histological findings were as follows: normal 25/234 (11%), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) 207/234 (88%), and other pathological findings in 35/234 (15%). Histological finding meeting referral criteria was present in 22/234 (9%). Of these, 12/22 (55%) were referred. Number needed to biopsy to identify histology meeting referral criteria: n = 11. Māori had a similar NAFLD rate to non-Māori [51/56 versus 156/178, p = 0.48]. Pasifika patients had a higher rate than non-Pasifika [39/40 versus 168/194, p = 0.049]. Māori and Pasifika patients had similar referral rates to non-Māori and non-Pasifika [2/3 versus 5/9, p = 0.73; 2/2 versus 5/10, p = 0.19].
conclusionsIntraoperative liver biopsy during bariatric surgery is safe and identified liver disease in 89%, with 9% meeting referral criteria. Pasifika patients have a higher rate of NAFLD than non-Pasifika.
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