Has anyone heard of a connection with the band and high ALT levels?

I did not have the band and have someone that is having issues with hers and is getting it removed.  She is very concerned her ALT levels were high and wondering if the band could have anything to do with it?  Not sure and doing some research for her. Have any of you had this with your band or heard of it?

Thanks for your help/input 

Kathy

Might it have to do with WLS in general, not just the band?  My ALT and AST have been elevated since WLS.  So high that I had a liver ultrasound about 6 months ago.  All looked normal.  Rapid weight loss puts stress on the liver.  I just had labs done on Monday and for the first time in almost 2 years, the AST & ALT are finally within range.  Good luck to your friend.  

Thanks for responding...  She had the band 7 years ago and in the last year she has been having things come back up and pain. She is going to see a surgery next week. I shared with her about some of the issues with longterm bands.  She was concerned with the levels and wondered if it had to do with the band.  I don't think so?  None of my research shows this as an issue but wanted to reach out to those that lived it.

Thanks again 

I may have to just talk this out (type this out) like I would break it down in my head to make any sense. As a nursing student I am not the "end all be all" of healthcare knowledge but I'll give this a go!

So ALT stands for Alanine Aminotransferase..man I really hate medical terminology sometimes. This enzyme is found in the liver but it can also be found in the kidneys, heart, and pancreas in smaller amounts. The reason why tests are run for ALT enzyme levels is because when the liver is damaged it will let go of excess levels of ALT. I do not say that to scare you just being honest - however vast amounts of weight loss can also cause a rise in ALT levels.

When you think about the eating regimens doctors have post-op weight loss patients on - it looks very similar if not exactly the same as the Ketogenic Diet. All in the hopes of making your body eat at the excess fat for fuel and making you lose a ton of weight. When your body goes through the nutritional ketosis process it has to deplete all of your glycogen stores in the liver..this in turn makes your liver work extra than it normally would. The big rise in ALT I would suspect and from literature I've read in the past, points to the break down of amino acids (proteins) and alpha-keto acids in the liver. See how much is going on with the liver? I would definitely consider this to be the culprit of the rise in ALT enzymes.

However, I am not a doctor, and there is absolutely no substitute for sound medical advice from a licensed professional who knows you (or your friend) and their previous medical history - WLS included. Not even counting an excessive amount of weight loss; people generally start taking more supplements after surgery. These are also metabolized by your liver. So if someone isn't used to taking a high amount of supplements or even high quality supplements this too could be the culprit.

ALT enzyme levels alone won't ever be able to give the full picture of what is going on with your body. You'll need AST levels tested, CBC, WBC, Hematocrit and Hemoglobin, Alk Phos, Bilirubin, and LDH. To be honest I wouldn't be satisfied with anything less than a complete workup on my blood work if my insurance covered it if I started showing elevated ALT levels. Especially while a WLS patient is actively losing weight and large amounts of it, I'd be skeptical of someone reading too much into lab work. It would be a good idea just to get a paper trail going to track your levels every few months, but until a WLS patient stopped losing excessive amounts of weight (more than 2lbs a week x4) and started maintaining I would think it would be hard to really see what's going on.

So tell your friend to not fret, there's no reason to get upset until there is. Ya know? I wish your friend luck though, I understand how frustrating it can be when your lab work makes you look like a sick person but you really feel fine.

Thanks for letting me blab, I hope I provided some peace of mind.