Is it acceptable to list a patient for lung transplantation who has a BMI between 30 and 35 kg/m² and is otherwise a highly suitable candidate, without first requiring weight loss to bring their BMI below 30?

Complicated decisions regarding candidacy for lung transplantation cannot, and should not, be made solely on the basis of a single numerical value. Patients with elevated BMI have been successfully transplanted, and the relationship between BMI and transplant outcomes is best described as a U-shaped...

This is a difficult question to answer; each transplant program has slightly different cutoffs for body mass index (BMI) and acceptability for lung transplant. Increased weight is associated with worse outcomes after lung transplantation for many reasons. Having said that, waiting to lose weight (at...