Transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement in severely obese patients?

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide1. Despite the perceived increased risks associated with being overweight, obese patients with cardiovascular diseases may have a comparable or even better prognosis than patients with a normal or low body mass index (BMI)2. Mariscalco et al3 demonstrated that patients with a BMI 25-40 kg/m2 had a lower risk of early adverse events after cardiac surgery compared to patients with lower BMI3. However, this benefit was lost in patients with BMI >40 kg/m2. Obese patients may also have better early and late outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), as demonstrated by ...