Endoscopic third ventriculostomy and repeat endoscopic third ventriculostomy in pediatric patients: the Dutch experience

OBJECTIVEAfter endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), some patients develop recurrent symptoms of hydrocephalus. The optimal treatment for these patients is not clear: repeat ETV (re-ETV) or CSF shunting. The goals of the study were to assess the effectiveness of re-ETV relative to initial ETV in pediatric patients and validate the ETV success score (ETVSS) for re-ETV.METHODSRetrospective data of 624 ETV and 93 re-ETV procedures were collected from 6 neurosurgical centers in the Netherlands (1998–2015). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to provide an adjusted estimate of the hazard ratio for re-ETV failure relative to ETV failure. The correlation coefficient between ETVSS and the chance of re-ETV success was calculated using Kendall’s tau coefficient. Model discrimination was quantified using the c-statistic. The effects of intraoperative findings and management on re-ETV success were also analyzed.RESULTSThe hazard ratio for re-ETV failure relative to ETV failure was 1.23 (95% CI 0.90–1.69; p = 0.20). At 6 months, the success rates for both ETV and re-ETV were 68%. ETVSS was significantly related to the chances of re-ETV success (τ = 0.37; 95% bias corrected and accelerated CI 0.21–0.52; p < 0.001). The c-statistic was 0.74 (95% CI 0.64–0.85). The presence of prepontine arachnoid membranes and use of an external ventricular drain (EVD) were negatively associated with treatment success, with ORs of 4.0 (95% CI 1.5–10.5) and 9.7 (95% CI 3.4–27.8), respectively.CONCLUSIONSRe-ETV seems to be as safe and effective as initial ETV. ETVSS adequately predicts the chance of successful re-ETV. The presence of prepontine arachnoid membranes and the use of EVD negatively influence the chance of success.

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Evaluating the Children's Hospital of Alabama endoscopic third ventriculostomy experience using the Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy Success Score: an external validation study

Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics ◽

10.3171/2011.8.peds1145 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 8 (5) ◽

pp. 494-501 ◽

Cited By ~ 45

Author(s):

Robert P. Naftel ◽

Gavin T. Reed ◽

Abhaya V. Kulkarni ◽

John C. Wellons

Keyword(s):

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy ◽

External Validation ◽

Retrospective Chart Review ◽

Patient Characteristics ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Third Ventriculostomy ◽

Success Rates ◽

C Statistic ◽

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy Success

Object Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) success is dependent on patient characteristics including age, origin of hydrocephalus, and history of shunt therapy. Using these factors, an Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy Success Score (ETVSS) model was constructed to predict success of therapy. This study reports a single-institution experience with ETV and explores the ETVSS model validity. Methods A retrospective chart review identified 151 consecutive patients who underwent ETV at a pediatric hospital between August 1995 and December 2009. Of these 151, 136 patients had at least 6 months of clinical follow-up. Data concerning patient characteristics, operative characteristics, radiological findings, complications, and success of ETV were collected. The actual success rates were compared with those predicted by the ETVSS model. Results The actual success rate of ETV at 6 months was 68.4% (93 of 136 patients), which compared well to the predicted ETVSS of 76.5% ± 12.5% (± SD). The C-statistic was 0.74 (95% CI 0.65–0.83), suggesting that the ability of the ETVSS to discriminate failures from successes was good. Secondary ETV was found to have a hazard ratio for failure of 4.2 (95% CI 2.4–7.2) compared with primary ETV (p < 0.001). The complication rate was 9.3% with no deaths. At the first radiological follow-up, the increased size of ventricles had a hazard ratio for failure of 3.0 (95% CI 1.5–6.0) compared with patients in whom ventricle size either remained stable or decreased (p = 0.002). Conclusions The ETVSS closely predicts the actual success of ETV, fitting the statistical model well. Shortcomings of the model were identified in overestimating success in patients with ETVSS ≤ 70, which may be attributable to the poor success of secondary ETVs in the authors' patient population.

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Prognostic Factors for Event-Free Survival in Pediatric Patients with Hepatoblastoma Based on the 2017 PRETEXT and CHIC-HS Systems

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers11091387 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 1387 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hee Mang Yoon ◽

Jisun Hwang ◽

Kyung Won Kim ◽

Jung-Man Namgoong ◽

Dae Yeon Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pediatric Patients ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Hazard Analysis ◽

Staging System ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Event Free Survival ◽

Free Survival ◽

Tertiary Referral Center ◽

C Statistic ◽

Pre Treatment

This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of variables used in the 2017 PRE-Treatment EXTent of tumor (PRETEXT) system and the Children’s Hepatic tumors International Collaboration-Hepatoblastoma Stratification (CHIC-HS) system in pediatric patients with hepatoblastoma. A retrospective analysis of data from the pediatric hepatoblastoma registry of a tertiary referral center was conducted to evaluate the clinical and imaging variables (annotation factors) of the PRETEXT staging system. The primary outcome was event-free survival (EFS). Data from 84 patients (mean age: 2.9 ± 3.5 years) identified between 1998 and 2017 were included. Univariable Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that PRETEXT annotation factors P (portal vein involvement), F (multifocality of tumor), and M (distant metastasis) showed a significant negative association with EFS. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that factor F was the strongest predictor (HR (hazard ratio), 2.908; 95% CI (confidence interval), 1.061–7.972; p = 0.038), whereas factor M showed borderline significance (HR, 2.416; 95% CI, 0.918–6.354; p = 0.074). The prediction model based on F and M (F + M) showed good performance to predict EFS (C-statistic, 0.734; 95% CI, 0.612–0.854). In conclusion, the PRETEXT annotation factor F was the strongest predictor of EFS, and the F + M model showed good performance to predict EFS in pediatric patients with hepatoblastoma.

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Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy in Pediatric Patients: The Canadian Experience

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/01.neu.0000255420.78431.e7 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 60 (5) ◽

pp. 881-886 ◽

Cited By ~ 122

Author(s):

James M. Drake

Keyword(s):

Pediatric Patients ◽

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy ◽

Cox Model ◽

Pediatric Neurosurgery ◽

Third Ventriculostomy ◽

Time To Failure ◽

Success Rates ◽

Accurate Analysis ◽

Young Infants ◽

Small Series

Abstract OBJECTIVE Reports from relatively small series of pediatric patients predominantly from single centers have hampered accurate analysis of outcome from endoscopic third ventriculostomy. We combined patients from nine pediatric neurosurgery centers across Canada to obtain a better estimate of outcome and identify factors affecting success of the procedure. METHODS Databases were recoded for uniformity. Failure of the procedure was defined as any subsequent operation or death resulting from hydrocephalus. Time to failure was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier estimate and Cox proportional hazard analysis. RESULTS During a 15-year period (1989–2004), 368 patients underwent the procedure. The average age was 6.5 years, and 57% were male. Aqueduct stenosis and tumors were the most common etiology, comprising 34 and 29%, respectively. Twenty-two percent of the patients had been previously shunted. The 1- and 5-year success rates were 65 and 52%, respectively. Factors included in the Cox model were age, sex, etiology of hydrocephalus, previous surgery, center volume, and surgeon volume. By multivariate analysis, only age had a significant effect on outcome, with younger patients failing at higher rates, particularly neonates and infants. CONCLUSION Based on data from multiple Canadian centers, age seems to be the primary determinant of outcome in endoscopic third ventriculostomy in pediatric patients. Failure rates are particularly high in neonates and young infants; thus, the role of this procedure in this age group should be carefully considered.

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Successful management of symptomatic hydrocephalus using a temporary external ventricular drain with or without endoscopic third ventriculostomy in pediatric patients with germinoma

Journal of Neurosurgery ◽

10.3171/2021.8.jns211443 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Rebecca Ronsley ◽

Eric Bouffet ◽

Peter Dirks ◽

James Drake ◽

Abhaya Kulkarni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pediatric Patients ◽

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy ◽

External Ventricular Drain ◽

Retrospective Chart Review ◽

Progression Free Survival ◽

Tumor Location ◽

Third Ventriculostomy ◽

Timely Initiation ◽

Vp Shunt ◽

Csf Diversion

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to describe the management of hydrocephalus in a cohort of pediatric patients with germinoma. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with germinoma and symptomatic hydrocephalus treated at the Hospital for Sick Children between 2002 and 2020. Descriptive data included tumor location, CSF diversion procedure (external ventricular drain [EVD], endoscopic third ventriculostomy [ETV], ventriculoperitoneal [VP] shunt) and outcomes. The frontooccipital horn ratio (FOR) method was used to determine the presence of ventriculomegaly. RESULTS Of 39 patients with germinoma, 22 (73% male) had symptomatic hydrocephalus at diagnosis (11 pineal, 4 suprasellar, and 7 bifocal). Management of hydrocephalus included EVD (n = 5, 22.7%), ETV (n = 5, 22.7%), and combination ETV and EVD (n = 7, 31.8%), whereas 5 patients (22.7%) did not undergo surgical intervention. The median FOR at diagnosis was 0.42 (range 0.38–0.58), which correlated with moderate to severe ventriculomegaly. Carboplatin and etoposide–based chemotherapy induced fast tumor shrinkage, avoiding CSF diversion (n = 5) and resolving hydrocephalus with a transient EVD (n = 5). The median duration until EVD removal was 7 days (range 2–10 days). Two of 12 patients with EVD ultimately required a VP shunt. Kaplan-Meier overall survival was 100% and progression-free survival was 96.4% at a median follow-up of 10.4 years. CONCLUSIONS Timely initiation of chemotherapy is imperative to rapidly reduce tumor bulk in children with germinoma and limits the need for VP shunt insertions. In children in whom CSF diversion is required, hydrocephalus may be successfully managed with a temporary EVD ± ETV.

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Endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization for the treatment of infantile hydrocephalus in Haiti

Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics ◽

10.3171/2019.10.peds19433 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 411-416

Author(s):

Ashish H. Shah ◽

Yudy LaFortune ◽

George M. Ibrahim ◽

Iahn Cajigas ◽

Michael Ragheb ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Choroid Plexus ◽

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Univariate Analysis ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Third Ventriculostomy ◽

Infantile Hydrocephalus ◽

Middle Income ◽

Choroid Plexus Cauterization

OBJECTIVEUntreated hydrocephalus poses a significant health risk to children in the developing world. In response to this risk, global neurosurgical efforts have increasingly focused on endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV/CPC) in the management of infantile hydrocephalus in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Here, the authors report their experience with ETV/CPC at the Hospital Bernard-Mevs/Project Medishare (HBMPM) in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.METHODSThe authors conducted a retrospective review of a series of consecutive children who had undergone ETV/CPC for hydrocephalus over a 1-year period at HBMPM. The primary outcome of interest was time to ETV/CPC failure. Univariate and multivariate analyses using a Cox proportional hazards regression were performed to identify preoperative factors that were associated with outcomes.RESULTSOf the 82 children who underwent ETV/CPC, 52.2% remained shunt free at the last follow-up (mean 6.4 months). On univariate analysis, the ETV success score (ETVSS; p = 0.002), success of the attempted ETV (p = 0.018), and bilateral CPC (p = 0.045) were associated with shunt freedom. In the multivariate models, a lower ETVSS was independently associated with a poor outcome (HR 0.072, 95% CI 0.016–0.32, p < 0.001). Two children (2.4%) died of postoperative seizures.CONCLUSIONSAs in other LMICs, ETV/CPC is an effective treatment for hydrocephalus in children in Haiti, with a low but significant risk profile. Larger multinational prospective databases may further elucidate the ideal candidate for ETV/CPC in resource-poor settings.

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Longstanding overt ventriculomegaly in adults: pitfalls in treatment with endoscopic third ventriculostomy

Neurosurgical FOCUS ◽

10.3171/foc.2007.22.4.7 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Harold L. Rekate

Keyword(s):

Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy ◽

Short Term Memory ◽

Treatment Success ◽

Aqueductal Stenosis ◽

Third Ventriculostomy ◽

Success Rates ◽

Venous Stenting ◽

Mild Degree ◽

Secondary Phenomenon ◽

Triventricular Hydrocephalus

Object The recently described condition of longstanding overt ventriculomegaly in adults (LOVA) has not been defined in terms of the need for intervention, timing of intervention, and ideal treatment. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the role of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) in the treatment of LOVA. Methods Data collected in six patients with LOVA who had undergone ETV were reviewed retrospectively in terms of the definition of treatment success, rates of success, complications, and outcome. All six patients presented with headache disorders. In all patients, triventricular hydrocephalus had been diagnosed as aqueductal stenosis, and head circumference measurements were above the 98th percentile. All six had undergone successful ETV as documented by the free flow of cerebrospinal fluid into the basal cisterns, which remained open throughout the follow-up period. After the procedure, one patient experienced a mild degree of difficulty with short-term memory. Five patients remained symptomatic or had symptoms requiring further treatment 3 months to 3 years after ETV. Four patients received ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and one underwent venous stenting for high intracranial pressure after successful ETV. In two patients in whom aqueductal stenosis had been diagnosed, the sylvian aqueduct was patent after the procedure. Conclusions In LOVA patients who present with headaches, ETV may not lead to improvement in the headaches. Despite the presence of triventricular hydrocephalus, closure of the aqueduct may be a secondary phenomenon, and flow through the aqueduct may be reestablished after ETV. If intracranial hypertension persists after successful ETV, its cause may be increased venous sinus pressure.

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Factors that contribute to urban–rural gradients in risk of schizophrenia: Comparing Danish and Western Australian registers

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/00048674211009615 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 000486742110096

Author(s):

Oleguer Plana-Ripoll ◽

Patsy Di Prinzio ◽

John J McGrath ◽

Preben B Mortensen ◽

Vera A Morgan

Keyword(s):

Confidence Interval ◽

Western Australia ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Indigenous Status ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Relationship ◽

Western Australian

Introduction: An association between schizophrenia and urbanicity has long been observed, with studies in many countries, including several from Denmark, reporting that individuals born/raised in densely populated urban settings have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia compared to those born/raised in rural settings. However, these findings have not been replicated in all studies. In particular, a Western Australian study showed a gradient in the opposite direction which disappeared after adjustment for covariates. Given the different findings for Denmark and Western Australia, our aim was to investigate the relationship between schizophrenia and urbanicity in these two regions to determine which factors may be influencing the relationship. Methods: We used population-based cohorts of children born alive between 1980 and 2001 in Western Australia ( N = 428,784) and Denmark ( N = 1,357,874). Children were categorised according to the level of urbanicity of their mother’s residence at time of birth and followed-up through to 30 June 2015. Linkage to State-based registers provided information on schizophrenia diagnosis and a range of covariates. Rates of being diagnosed with schizophrenia for each category of urbanicity were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for covariates. Results: During follow-up, 1618 (0.4%) children in Western Australia and 11,875 (0.9%) children in Denmark were diagnosed with schizophrenia. In Western Australia, those born in the most remote areas did not experience lower rates of schizophrenia than those born in the most urban areas (hazard ratio = 1.02 [95% confidence interval: 0.81, 1.29]), unlike their Danish counterparts (hazard ratio = 0.62 [95% confidence interval: 0.58, 0.66]). However, when the Western Australian cohort was restricted to children of non-Aboriginal Indigenous status, results were consistent with Danish findings (hazard ratio = 0.46 [95% confidence interval: 0.29, 0.72]). Discussion: Our study highlights the potential for disadvantaged subgroups to mask the contribution of urban-related risk factors to risk of schizophrenia and the importance of stratified analysis in such cases.

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Clinical outcomes of pediatric macular edema associated with non-infectious uveitis

Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection ◽

10.1186/s12348-021-00236-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Anh Hong Nguyen ◽

Bethlehem Mekonnen ◽

Eric Kim ◽

Nisha R. Acharya

Keyword(s):

Visual Acuity ◽

Macular Edema ◽

San Francisco ◽

Pediatric Patients ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Study Cohort ◽

Common Diagnosis ◽

Corticosteroid Injections

Abstract Background Macular edema (ME) is the most frequent cause of irreversible visual impairment in patients with uveitis. To date, little data exists about the clinical course of ME in pediatric patients. A retrospective, observational study was performed to examine the visual and macular thickness outcomes of ME associated with chronic, noninfectious uveitis in pediatric patients. Methods Pediatric patients with noninfectious uveitis complicated by ME seen in the University of California San Francisco Health System from 2012 to 2018 were identified using ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. Data were collected from medical records including demographics, diagnoses, ocular history, OCT imaging findings, complications, and treatments at first encounter and at 3, 6, 9, and 12-month follow-up visits. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to investigate the association between different classes of treatment (steroid drops, steroid injections, oral steroids and other immunosuppressive therapies) and resolution of macular edema. Results The cohort comprised of 21 children (26 eyes) with a mean age of 10.5 years (SD 3.3). Undifferentiated uveitis was the most common diagnosis, affecting 19 eyes (73.1%). The majority of observed macular edema was unilateral (16 patients, 76.2%) and 5 patients had bilateral macular edema. The mean duration of follow-up at UCSF was 35.3 months (SD 25.7). By 12 months, 18 eyes (69.2%) had achieved resolution of ME. The median time to resolution was 3 months (IQR 3–6 months). Median best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at baseline was 0.54 logMAR (Snellen 20/69, IQR 20/40 to 20/200). Median BCVA at 12 months was 0.1 logMAR (Snellen 20/25, IQR 20/20 to 20/50) Corticosteroid injections were associated with a 4.0-fold higher rate of macular edema resolution (95% CI 1.3–12.2, P = 0.01). Conclusions Although only 15% of the pediatric patients with uveitis in the study cohort had ME, it is clinically important to conduct OCTs to detect ME in this population. Treatment resulted in 69% of eyes achieving resolution of ME by 12 months, accompanied with improvement in visual acuity. Corticosteroid injections were significantly associated with resolution of macular edema.

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The effect of external ventricular drain tunneling length on CSF infection rate in pediatric patients: a randomized, double-blind, 3-arm controlled trial

Journal of Neurosurgery Pediatrics ◽

10.3171/2020.9.peds20748 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Esmaeil Mohammadi ◽

Sara Hanaei ◽

Sina Azadnajafabad ◽

Keyvan Tayebi Meybodi ◽

Zohreh Habibi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infection Rate ◽

Pediatric Patients ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

External Ventricular Drain ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Spontaneous Discharge ◽

Standard Group ◽

Double Blind ◽

Group A ◽

Group B

OBJECTIVE The role of tunneling an external ventricular drain (EVD) more than the standard 5 cm for controlling device-related infections remains controversial. METHODS This is a randomized, double-blind, 3-arm controlled trial done in the Children’s Medical Center in Tehran, Iran. Pediatric patients (< 18 years old) with temporary hydrocephalus requiring an EVD and no evidence of CSF infection or prior EVD insertion were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) into the following arms: 5-cm (standard; group A); 10-cm (group B); or 15-cm (group C) EVD tunnel lengths. The investigators, parents, and person performing the analysis were masked. The surgeon was informed of the length of the EVD by the monitoring board just before operation. Patients were followed until the EVD’s fate was established. Infection rate and other complications related to EVDs were assessed. RESULTS A total of 105 patients were enrolled in three random groups (group A = 36, group B = 35, and group C = 34). The EVD was removed because there was no further need in most cases (67.6%), followed by conversion to a new EVD or ventriculoperitoneal shunt (15.2%), infection (11.4%), and spontaneous discharge without further CSF diversion requirement (5.7%). No statistical difference was found in infection rate (p = 0.47) or EVD duration (p = 0.81) between the three groups. No group reached the efficacy point sooner than the standard group (group B: hazard ratio 1.21, 95% CI 0.75–1.94, p = 0.429; group C: hazard ratio 1.03, 95% CI 0.64–1.65, p = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS EVD tunnel lengths of 5 cm and longer did not show a difference in the infection rate in pediatric patients. Indeed, tunneling lengths of 5 cm and greater seem to be equally effective in preventing EVD infection. Clinical trial registration no.: IRCT20160430027680N2 (IRCT.ir)

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Abstract 13950: Predicted Heart Mass and BMI: Evaluating Undersized Heart Transplantation in Obese vs. Non-Obese Patients

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.13950 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Samuel T Kim ◽

Mark R Helmers ◽

Peter Altshuler ◽

Amit Iyengar ◽

Jason Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Propensity Score ◽

Heart Transplantation ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Obese Patients ◽

Heart Transplants ◽

Term Survival ◽

Heart Mass

Introduction: Although guidelines for heart transplant currently recommend against donors weighing ≥ 30% less than the recipient, recent studies have shown that the detriment of under-sizing may not be as severe in obese recipients. Furthermore, predicted heart mass (PHM) has been shown to be more reliable for size matching compared to metrics such as weight and body surface area. In this study, we use PHM to characterize the effects of undersized heart transplantation (UHT) in obese vs. non-obese recipients. Methods: Retrospective analysis of the UNOS database was performed for heart transplants from Jan. 1995 to Sep. 2020. Recipients were stratified by obese (BMI ≥ 30) and non-obese (30 > BMI ≥ 18.5). Undersized donors were defined as PHM ≥ 20% less than recipient PHM. Obese and non-obese populations separately underwent propensity score matching, and Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to graph survival. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards analyses were used to adjust for confounders and estimate the hazard ratio for death attributable to under-sizing. Results: Overall, 50,722 heart transplants were included in the analysis. Propensity-score matching resulted in 2,214, and 1,011 well-matched pairs, respectively, for non-obese and obese populations. UHT in non-obese recipients resulted in similar 30-day mortality (5.7% vs. 6.3%, p = 0.38), but worse 15-year survival (38% vs. 35%, P = 0.04). In contrast, obese recipients with UHT saw similar 30-day mortality (6.4% vs. 5.5%, p = 0.45) and slightly increased 15-year survival (31% vs. 35%, P = 0.04). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that UHT resulted in an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.08 (95% CI 1.01 - 1.16) in non-obese recipients, and 0.87 (95% CI 0.78 - 0.98) in obese recipients. Conclusions: Non-obese patients with UHT saw worse long-term survival, while obese patients with UHT saw slightly increased survival. These findings may warrant reevaluation of the current size criteria for obese patients awaiting a heart.

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