The Role of Bariatric Surgeries in Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The overall global prevalence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease diagnosed by imaging is around 25.24%. The highest prevalence of NAFLD is reported from the Middle East 31.79% and South America 30.45% whereas the lowest prevalence rate is reported from Africa 13.48%. Unlike NAFLD, Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis is more aggressive and is associated with a risk of approximately 10 to 29% of progression to cirrhosis within10 years. Therefore, early-stage NASH represents a group of patients that is most likely to benefit from treatments in order to prevent progression to cirrhosis and its complications. Obesity is the most common and well documented risk factor for NAFLD, the majority (\>95%) of patients with severe obesity undergoing bariatric surgery will have NAFLD. To date, weight loss achieved via lifestyle intervention remains the mainstay of treatment of NASH. Bariatric surgery contributes to weight loss in two main ways: restrictive procedures and malabsorptive procedures. In 2018, the AASLD board stated that it is premature to consider foregut bariatric surgery as an established option to specifically treat NASH. Accordingly, the effects of bariatric surgery on hepatic fibrosis are still unclear. In Egypt there is lack in such type of study thus this research will conducted to evaluate the prevalence of NAFLD and NASH in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery and to assess the role of bariatric surgery in management of NAFLD related hepatic morbidity in our locality.