Metabolic Bariatric Surgery to Facilitate Access to Renal Transplantation for Patients with Obesity and End- Stage Renal Disease: A National Case Series and Focused Review

Background/Objectives: Obesity is extremely common among patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) due to shared metabolic risk factors. Renal transplantation is the gold standard treatment for ESRD, however obesity is a major barrier due to increased anaesthetic risks, surgical complications and poorer graft outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess ESRD patients referred for metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) in Scotland. Methods: Data from all adult patients with ESRD who were referred for MBS in Scotland from January 2014 to August 2025 were obtained retrospectively. Categorical data are presented as number and percentage; non-parametric continuous data are presented as median and inter-quartile range. A focused review of comparable published cohorts was performed for context. Results: A total of 9 patients with ESRD were referred for MBS over the study period; of these, 5 patients went on to have MBS. Of the patients who underwent MBS, the median age at referral was 47 years, 3 of 5 were female and the median starting weight and body mass index (BMI) were 131 kg and 49 kg/m2 respectively. Four patients underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, and 1 patient underwent one-anastomosis gastric bypass. The median length of hospital stay was 2 days. The median total percentage weight loss was 33.5% (range 27.7% to 48.1%). Four of the five patients were able to be activated on the transplant waiting list after successfully achieving their target weight after a median of 8.4 months. Of the 4 listed patients, 3 were transplanted with no post-operative complications, and 1 remains active on the waiting list. Across seven comparable cohorts (19 to 198 operated patients), all single- or two-centre, ours had the only national coverage. Listing and transplantation outcomes (4 of 5 listed, 3 of 5 transplanted) were broadly consistent with the range reported in these cohorts, although the small sample precludes formal comparison. Conclusions: In this small case series and review, MBS appeared safe and feasible in a highly selected group of patients with obesity and ESRD. MBS facilitates access to renal transplant but is under-utilised in Scotland. We plan to formalise a national treatment pathway to streamline access to bariatric services for patients with ESRD and enable more patients to undergo renal transplantation.