Nonlinear Effect of Body Mass Index on Postoperative Survival Following Isolated Heart Transplant

Purpose: Guidelines regarding a patient ’s fitness to receive isolated heart transplant in terms of a candidate’s Body Mass Index (BMI) are evolving. Guidelines for BMI cutoffs range from 30 to 40 depending on country and institution. Previous studies have reported a negative association between recipient BMI and probability of receiv ing a transplant, and other studies have characterized the effect of BMI as U-shaped. Given this association, it is imperative to provide updated nonlinear estimates of postoperative risk attributable to a recipient’s BMI to evaluate the optimality of existing cutoffs.
Source: The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation - Category: Transplant Surgery Authors: Source Type: research