Help I am terrified

[JLTyler74]

I went for pre op bloods on Wednesday, I was due to have a gastric bypass on Saturday. The Dr called and postponed it yesterday as my LFT's are abnormal, my ALP 295, ALT 200 and gamma GT 793!!!

He says i need to see a liver specialist and can't have surgery until it sorted.

I am so upset and terrified.

Any advice is welcome.

[AyrshireK]

Hello JLT, welcome to our merry band. I hope you find some much needed support here.

Ok the levels you've had picked up show that your liver is inflamed at the present time which may not be unsurprising in a patient who is requiring gastric bypass surgery - I am assuming that this is to aid weight loss and you are perhaps carrying a little more weight than is healthy.

The fastest growing cause of liver disease in the Western World just now is Non Alcohol Related Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and it's slightly more aggressive partner NASH (Non Alcoholic Steato Hepatatis).

Both of these conditions are reversible with healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle so hopefully you can get to see a liver specialist and get yourself onto a healthier path going forward and hopefully healthy enough to have your surgery and further assist with reducing your overall body fat.

Here's the BLT guide to NAFLD and NASH and a page where they have released details of a study which showed the benefits of eating a Mediterranean Style diet for NAFLD/NASH.

britishlivertrust.org.uk/in...

britishlivertrust.org.uk/ea...

Best wishes,

Katie

[Ruggerhead in reply to AyrshireK]

This is good advice from Katie, the high levels of GGT can come from the very thing your looking at getting the bypass for, and also from drink, ie is someone goes out on a bender then GGT especially can be very high. As Katie said the bloods are just a snapshot of what is going on right now, so your Dr needs to see those numbers come down and that Im afraid means more time on diet, exercise etc to get those bllods into range. Other than those scores, what does your actual liver function look like ie protein, Bilburin, Albumin etc as sometimes these are good info on how your liver is actually working. A lot of people just make the mistake of looking at AST/ALT, Alk Phos etc. GGT levels often reflect a biliary issue, whereas ALT is more specific to the liver, but again only on the day you get tested. If this all makes sense.

[JLTyler74 in reply to Ruggerhead]

The results I have given are all that is abnormal. Kidneys good. All other LFT’s normal as is FBC and clotting

[JLTyler74]

And I am not a drinker

[Ruggerhead]

What about medications? Whats your AST. they way liver tests are patterned is usually (not always) in pairs. ALT and AST, liver specific, ALP and GGT more problems with the bilinary system. If all your other bloods are normal that is good news meaning that the liver is still producing or reducing what is needed ie the direct Bilirubin, protein, clotting time. Thats whi I ask any medications that might cause a spike. I know when I was in hospital, all those levels shot up and stayed up for about a month, I put it down to some of the IV's i was on for bleeding ulcers.

[JLTyler74]

Yeah I have been poorly recently so will be talking to GP tomorrow. Clotting bilirubin all spot on. I am a nurse but my rational thinking is scared at the moment.