Fibrosis-4 Score and Postoperative Outcomes in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease

Area of Science:

• Hepatology and Gastroenterology
• Surgical Risk Assessment
• Noninvasive Biomarkers

Background:

• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) prevalence is rising globally.
• The Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score is a noninvasive tool to assess advanced liver fibrosis.
• Predicting surgical outcomes in MASLD patients is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive value of the FIB-4 score for postoperative complications.
• To evaluate the association between FIB-4 scores and mortality in surgical patients with MASLD.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter retrospective study included 11,072 patients undergoing surgery.
• Data analyzed included demographics, comorbidities, FIB-4 scores, and surgical outcomes.
• Propensity score matching was used for patients with high FIB-4 scores.

Main Results:

• 1667 MASLD patients were analyzed, categorized by FIB-4 scores.
• High FIB-4 scores were significantly associated with increased postoperative complications (P < .001).
• A trend towards elevated 12-month mortality was observed in high FIB-4 score patients, though not statistically significant (P = .481).

Conclusions:

• A high FIB-4 score may serve as a predictive marker for postoperative complications in MASLD patients.
• FIB-4 score utility in surgical risk stratification for MASLD patients warrants further investigation.