Re: BMI and transplant questions (Tom Fenton?)

February 19, 2009

>

> In a previous post, Tom Fenton mentioned that he was denied a

> transplant for various reasons, including BMI. I've done a little

> research on the Internet, and I'm getting mixed results: some

> articles report that BMI has no effect on transplant success, and

> other articles discuss the need for physicians to choose transplant

> recipients carefully, since BMI may cause complications after the

> surgery. Has anyone out there had a personal experience with this

> issue? My husband has a high BMI, and I'm worrying...

==========================

Well, I'm not sure whether my experience will be of help here, but

I'll toss it out anyway!

When we were finally given my PSC diagnosis in 2001, we struggled,

thought, and prayed and decided NOT to opt for a transplant (many

reasons ... intolerance to anesthesia being a big part of it). We've

been at absolute peace with this decision for all this time since.

I'm under the regular (and very excellent!) care of a

gastroenterologist. Several months ago, when we had our first appt.

with the hepatologist, I mentioned that I was not going for a

transplant and he responded, " Well of course not, with your weight! "

And that was that, so far as he was concerned! Rather startled us but

made us all the more thankful that we had come to the decision we had.

Yes, I am extremely overweight and my BMI is way up there.

So, yes, apparently BMI is indeed a pretty big sticking point when it

comes to transplant.

Regards,

Carolyn B. in SC

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