Question:
Anyone with elevated liver enzymes post op?

I had RNY 6/03. No elevated liver enzymes before or immediately after surgery. However, after about 6 months out liver enzymes have been elevated. Surgeon and I/Specialist or Gastric Doctor has an answer. Can anyone tell me what we might be dealing with?    — Bubba H. (posted on March 27, 2005)

March 27, 2005
I developed the same issue at 6 months post op. My GB surgeon kept assuring me that it was normal since the liver filters all the fat leaving your body. He said it would go away within two years. My family Dr. was a little more nervous about it. I did routine screenings like liver panel blood tests, gallbladder ultrasound, etc. just to monitor things. Everything was improving until I had my reconstructive surgery last September. My liver enzymes got higher than they had ever been. Fortunately things calmed down within about 3 months of my last surgery. My liver is now totally normal. I haven't done anything different my liver went back to normal when it wanted to. Try not to freak out.....just do your routine screenings see your Dr. regularly and WAIT.....my liver took about 22 months to return to normal. Wendi
   — lovemonterey

March 27, 2005
My elevated enzymes showed up more around 11-12 months PO. The WL surgeon just wrote it off to the liver dealing with all the fat. I had my gallbladder removed in 1994. My internist did some further testing looking at essential fatty acids etc. and found I was low in zinc. I'm not sure of the direct correlation and it might be slight. I was also low in vitamin D. My copper was fine. To this day (25+ months PO) my liver enzymes look slightly off normal but are not getting worse and are better than they were at 12 months PO. My internist follows me closely on the things that have not totally settled out to normal. Everything is starting to come around. Most likely in time yours will settle out, but it is important to watch it along the way. Our bodies are going through a ton after surgery and trying to figure out what we malabsorb the most etc. I had no problems with iron and hemoglobin until I had my 1st PS. Then I spent the next year trying to get it back into normal. It's finally there after an iron infusion. Now the question will be if I can maintain it. Only time will tell. This surgery is not without it's long term issues but they can be dealt with if we educate ourselves and have a PCP that takes this all serious and wants to be part of your long term care. If you don't have a PCP that is willing to deal with your different issues due to the surgery, then get a different one. This is the doc that is likely to find things first as the further out you get the less you will see your surgeon. My internist sees it as a challenge. He is so glad I went this route and is willing to do whatever he can to help me in my post-op life.
   — zoedogcbr

March 27, 2005
That's actually pretty normal for us. HOW elevated? Still double digits or way up there? I've taken milk thistle (pill, herb) for 3 yrs now and have had my LE read as normal since. They were not sky high, only "elevated". You might want to check out the grad list, for people 1+ yrs out, which is when these lil surprises start to pop up. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Graduate-OSSG
   — vitalady

March 27, 2005
I had WLS 6-30-03 and 6 mo. or so after surgery SAMETHING. It's normal everything is back to normal with rapied weight loss it's normal and nothign to worrie about per. my Dr. but he does check it reg. I have lost -219 pounds so far :)
   — Janine Greenwood

March 27, 2005
My LE was normal when I had blood work in September (I was one year out at the time) then in December, they were elevated. My surgeon was not concerned but PCP was. He checked again two weeks ago and although they are closer to normal than they were in December, they are still more than double what they should be. I had my gall bladder out in October, '04 so I really suspect that the elevated LE is related to the gall bladder surgery but I am going to the gastroenterologist anyway to keep watch on it. There are MANY things that can cause the liver enzymes to be elevated (ie., medication, obesity, cancer, hepatitus, etc.) since everything we ingest or put in our blood stream goes thru the liver but elevated ALT is an indication that tissue damage is occurring so it is VERY important to follow this and try to target the reason.
   — scbabe

March 28, 2005
Mine became elevated at about the same time (post-op) as yours. Stayed that way for almost two years before returning to normal. Seemed to improve more markedly when if/when I remembered to take milk thistle. Par for the course for some of us WLS patients. But surprisingly, some of my docs didn't know that, either. That's what this place is here for. :-D
   — Suzy C.

March 28, 2005
When everyone is saying "elevated," I think it would be helpful if the actual numbers were given - some docs freak at 50, some need to see over 100 to get concerned. Several painkillers elevate the ALT readings, as well as high amounts of Tylenol.
   — kultgirl