MASH cirrhosis has traditionally been considered irreversible. However, new data from investigators at Cleveland Clinic, presented at Digestive Disease Week 2026, demonstrate that cirrhosis regression can occur following metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS).
In a retrospective cohort of patients with biopsy-proven compensated MASH cirrhosis undergoing MBS, investigators evaluated long-term outcomes using paired liver biopsies obtained at the time of surgery and at follow-up. Among 30 patients with a median follow-up of more than six years, cirrhosis regression, defined as improvement to a less advanced stage of fibrosis, was observed in one-third of patients.
“These findings challenge the long-held view that cirrhosis is a fixed, end-stage condition,” says Sobia Laique, MD, Director of the Multidisciplinary MASLD Center. “In selected patients, sustained metabolic intervention can lead to meaningful structural improvement in the liver.”