Historically, the outlook has been grim for obese patients who need kidney transplants. Due to the physical requirements of the operation, those with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher typically have been denied access to the life-saving procedure.
But that is changing as transplant surgeons at centers like the Department of Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine learn how to perform robotic transplant surgery on patients with high BMIs, giving new hope to patients who previously would have been ineligible for the surgery.
At CU, Thomas Pshak, MD, assistant professor of transplant surgery, specializes in robotic kidney transplants on patients with high BMIs. He performed the first such procedure in November 2021 and has performed ten more since, watching as each patient’s quality of life improves after surgery.
We spoke with Pshak about robotic surgery and its effect on obese patients in need of kidney transplants.