title: Risk of Respiratory Complications in Obese Liver Transplant Patients: A Study of 343 Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is a risk factor that increases the number of complications after orthotopic liver transplantation (LT). We sought to analyze the short-term respiratory complications in obese LT recipients and compare them with a control group of nonobese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of LT patients in a hospital in the southeast of Spain (2007-2013), selecting the study cases using a body mass index (BMI) of >30 kg/m(2) and a control group (BMI < 30). Study variables were age, sex, indication for LT, demographic and clinical variables, respiratory complications during the first postoperative month, and mortality rate secondary to respiratory disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 343 LT recipients, 74 were obese (21.6%): 59 patients had a BMI between 30 and 35 (grade I obesity) and among them, 5% presented with respiratory complications, with a 33% mortality rate. Fifteen patients had a BMI of >35 (obesity grade II), and 20% presented with respiratory complications, with a 33% mortality rate. In the control group (n = 30), 17% experienced respiratory complications and there was a 20% mortality rate. There were no differences in respiratory complications between the obese and nonobese groups, or the different kinds of obesity (P > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were no differences in short-term respiratory complications between obese LT recipients and those with a normal weight.
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IMIB), Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: beatrizfebrero@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Febrero
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IMIB), Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain; Regional Transplant Center, Consejería de Sanidad y Consumo de la Región de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IMIB), Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IMIB), Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ríos
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IMIB), Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Robles
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IMIB), Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Bueno
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IMIB), Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cascales
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IMIB), Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luján
authors.affiliation: Transplant Unit, Department of General Surgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain; Instituto Murciano de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IMIB), Department of Surgery, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parrilla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology