Obesity and postgastrectomy outcomes: Large risks, fat chances, or no big deal?

摘要

Many Western and Asian societies face an increasing prevalence of obesity and related metabolic disorders [1]. Aside from the related issues that affect health care systems in general, surgeons specifically are faced with an increasing challenge to maintain high-quality care with good outcomes in an ever-increasing number of obese patients. Overweight patients are at greater risk for comorbidity and disability, particularly at body mass indices (BMI) of greater than 35 kg/m2 [2]. It is thus clear that operative care of obese patients requires greater health care resources, and frequently leads to increased length of hospital stay [3]. Associations between obesity and postoperative morbidity are less clear-cut, although many reports suggest that this is indeed so [4]. Some recent reports suggest a link between obesity and surgical site infection risk [5], while others indicate increased risks for minor complications after major cancer operations, but not major complications or death [6].