The Value of Preoperative S-LD 5 Isoenzyme Determination in Predicting the Risk of Serious Liver Injury after Bypass Operations for Treatment of Obesity

Abstract

After bypass operations for obesity many patients had signs of liver injury (SLI). It has not earlier been possible to correlate changes in the preoperative liver function test with occurrence of postoperative SLI. The present study shows that those patients who before the intestinal bypass operation had a moderate to significant change in serum activity of S-LD 5 (isoenzyme 5 of the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase) were at risk of developing SLI after the operation. All five patients with SLI, of whom three died, preoperatively had an increase in S-LD 5 exceeding five times the normal mean value. The pattern in the transaminases and serum alkaline phosphatase were not as conclusive.

Key-words:

• Bypass operations
• lactate dehydrogenase
• liver injury
• obesity