OBESE LIVING KIDNEY DONORS: SHORT-TERM RESULTS AND POSSIBLE IMPLICATIONS1

BACKGROUND Living kidney donation has increased recently as the shortage of cadaveric organs continues. This increase has occurred in part, due to expanded donor criteria, including obese patients. This is a potential concern because obesity is associated with surgical complications, possibly death, and chronic medical problems. To address this concern, we examined the outcome of a large group of obese (ObD) and nonobese living kidney donors (NObD). METHODS A total of 107 obese (body mass index> or =27 kg/m2) and 116 nonobese (body mass index