In the present series , overweight and obese patients had similar or slightly lower in-hospital mortality rates after cardiac surgery compared with normal-weight individuals .
Conversely , postoperative complication rates increased with higher BMI levels .
Most studies included in the review showed that overweight and obese patients had at least the same mortality rate as normal-weight patients , or even a lower death risk .
Pooled- data of the meta- analysis provided evidence on the association between higher BMI levels and a lower all-cause in-hospital mortality rate after cardiac surgery
The relationship between higher body mass index ( BMI ) , decreased morbidity and mortality is known as the " obesity paradox " , and has been described in cohorts of patients with hypertension , diabetes , heart failure , coronary and peripheral artery diseases , non-cardiac surgery , and end-stage renal disease .
Here we investigated the relationship between BMI and short-term outcomes after adult cardiac surgery to explore the existence of an obesity paradoxical effect .
A secondary objective was to perform an up date d systematic review to further analyze the association between BMI and 30-day in-hospital mortality after cardiac surgery .
Is obesity a predictor of mortality, morbidity and readmission after cardiac surgery?
INTRODUCTION Obesity has been described as a risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease , but it has not been determined whether obesity is associated with adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery . Therefore , we analyzed a large cohort of patients who had undergone cardiac surgery to determine whether obesity is a predictor of mortality , morbidity or early readmission to hospital . METHODS At the London Health Sciences Centre , an academic tertiary care centre , we prospect ively entered data from the cardiac surgical data base from July 1999 to April 2002 . We collected data on 1310 consecutive , unselected patients who underwent cardiac surgery during that time . We assessed the degree of obesity using the body mass index ( BMI ) , and we prospect ively documented the occurrence of 10 major complications after surgery . They included stroke , reoperation for bleeding , life-threatening cardiac arrest or arrhythmia , new renal failure requiring dialysis , septicemia , mediastinitis , sternal dehiscence , respiratory failure , postoperative myocardial infa rct ion and low cardiac output necessitating intra-aortic balloon pump use . Univariable and multivariable analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with and predictive of postoperative death and major complications . RESULTS An increased BMI did not increase the risk of early postoperative death . Furthermore , increased BMI was not a predictor of a patient experiencing any of the major complications , except sternal dehiscence . An increased BMI was associated with a higher likelihood of readmission to hospital within 30 days of discharge . CONCLUSION Obesity was not associated with adverse outcomes after cardiac operations , aside from the increased risks of sternal dehiscence and early hospital readmission
In the present series , overweight and obese patients had similar or slightly lower in-hospital mortality rates after cardiac surgery compared with normal-weight individuals .
Conversely , postoperative complication rates increased with higher BMI levels .
Most studies included in the review showed that overweight and obese patients had at least the same mortality rate as normal-weight patients , or even a lower death risk .
Pooled- data of the meta- analysis provided evidence on the association between higher BMI levels and a lower all-cause in-hospital mortality rate after cardiac surgery
The relationship between higher body mass index ( BMI ) , decreased morbidity and mortality is known as the " obesity paradox " , and has been described in cohorts of patients with hypertension , diabetes , heart failure , coronary and peripheral artery diseases , non-cardiac surgery , and end-stage renal disease .
Here we investigated the relationship between BMI and short-term outcomes after adult cardiac surgery to explore the existence of an obesity paradoxical effect .
A secondary objective was to perform an up date d systematic review to further analyze the association between BMI and 30-day in-hospital mortality after cardiac surgery .