Objective: We aim to study outcomes in liver transplant recipients with BMI >50 using the UNOS database.

Methods: We reviewed patients undergoing liver transplantation recorded in the UNOS database from 1988 to 2013. Of 104,250 liver transplant procedures, 123 were performed on super obese patients.

Results: Sixty four percent of the super obese patients are female (64%), had a mean age 47 years (20-71). The mean BMI was 53.5 (50-72.86) and 16% had diabetes. The mean MELD score at transplant was 29.1 (6-53). It was found that BMI >50 increased 2.4 fold the risk of death within 30 days after liver transplantation, and the length of stay by 60%. Graft failure was increased by 50% and overall mortality was by 64%. A 1:1 propensity score match analysis demonstrated that patients with BMI <50 have significantly better graft and overall patient survival than the super obese.

Conclusions: Overall, our data shows that BMI >50 is an independent predictor of LOS, perioperative mortality and graft and overall patient survival. Further studies are necessary to better understand predictors of outcomes in super obese patients.

CITATION INFORMATION: Gedaly R, Berger J, Mei X, Marti F, Turcios L, Shah M. Tipping the Scales: Liver Transplant Outcomes of the Super Obese. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).

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