How does obesity affect kidney transplant success?

Does obesity affect kidney transplant success ?

Kidney transplantation and dialysis are two main treatment options for long-term renal failure. Since the kidneys in the human body are responsible for filtering out and removing waste materials and excess salt from the body, and because of this vital role, it is better to restore their optimal function as soon as possible and in a way that is more cost-effective. The benefits of kidney transplantation compared to dialysis treatment have been widely discussed. In the article "What are the pros and cons of kidney transplant?" You can read more about this topic. But do all kidney patients have the same chance of success in kidney transplant surgery? One of the factors responsible for the success or failure of kidney transplantation is obesity or severe overweight in kidney transplant volunteers. This factor has been so controversial that some medical centers refuse to accept such kidney patients who wish to receive a kidney and perform a kidney transplant surgery. But can obesity actually affect the success rate of kidney transplants? Is severe overweight a factor that will increase the mortality rate in these patients? In this article, we intend to answer these critical questions.

Who is considered an obese person?

Body mass index (BMI) is an index that will simultaneously be affected by a person's height and weight. The standard range for this index is between 18.5 and 24.9. When the index is between 25 and 29.9, the person is overweight, and if it exceeds 30, the person is considered obese or severely overweight. Today, obesity and severe overweight have become a common problem among kidney patients. According to medical research, more than 60% of kidney patients who volunteer to receive a kidney suffer from obesity. However, an ideal candidate for a kidney surgery, in many medical centers, is a person whose BMI is something between 19 and 25.

Should severe overweight patients prevent kidney transplantation?

The fact is that although obesity during kidney transplantation can cause complications with the final result of the operation, it will not adversely affect the mortality rate. According to medical findings, the risk of postoperative death (mortality risk) is almost the same in normal and overweight kidney patients. However, it is undeniable that obesity can affect the outcome of kidney transplantation, and may change the operation into a more complicated one. Obesity can delay the normal functionality of the transplanted kidney (DGF or Delayed Graft Function), cause the body to reject the new organ, longer hospitalizations, and higher cardiac disease or wound infection rates. Despite these difficulties, many physicians believe that kidney transplantation has many benefits for obese kidney patients, compared to long-term dialysis. This transplantation can improve their quality of life and reduce their treatment costs. Also, it would increase their life expectancy. Therefore, inhibiting kidney transplantation -merely because the patient is overweight- is not the right thing to do, and medical centers should prevent this. Each patient should be examined individually and not only the weight, but also other underlying factors should be considered. Do you have a kidney disease accompanied by severe overweight, and yet you are tired of dialysis? Are you planning to have a kidney transplant, but you are worried that your physical condition will make the operation riskier? Because each patient will have different conditions, you should also consult with a physician individually. Don't forget, at any stage you are, the medical consultants of TebMedTourism Co. are ready to answer your questions for free, 24/7. 

You may like to read : kidney transplant in Iran For more information.

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