Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society
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Obesity levels in the United Kingdom have risen over the years. Studies from the United States and elsewhere have reported variable outcomes for obese liver transplant recipients in terms of post-liver transplant morbidity, mortality, and graft survival. This study was designed to analyze the impact of the body mass index (BMI) on outcomes following adult liver transplantation. ⋯ There was no difference in death-censored graft survival or patient survival between the groups. In conclusion, this is the largest and only reported UK series on BMI and outcomes following liver transplantation. Overweight and obese patients have significantly increased morbidity in terms of infective complications after liver transplantation and, consequently, longer ICU and hospital stays.
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Early allograft dysfunction (EAD) is a serious complication after liver transplantation (LT). There is no uniform definition of EAD, and most definitions are based on arbitrary laboratory values. The aim of this study was to devise a definition of EAD that maximizes the predictive power for early death and graft failure. ⋯ The best cutoff of MELD score on day 5 for predicting 90-day mortality or graft loss was 18.9. A MELD score >18.9 on postoperative day 5 was a better predictor than any other laboratory value or definition of EAD. This study has demonstrated that the MELD score can be a useful tool not only for pretransplant graft allocation but also for postoperative risk stratification.