Is BMI associated with post-operative complication risk among patients undergoing major abdominal surgery for cancer? A systematic review

J Surg Oncol. 2018 Apr;117(5):1009-1019. doi: 10.1002/jso.24999. Epub 2018 Feb 6.

Abstract

We systematically reviewed 118 studies comparing peri-operative outcomes among obese and non-obese patients. Obesity was associated with longer operative time in 60% of available studies. Just 35.8% of studies that evaluated overall morbidity identified high morbidity in obese patients. Lymph node yield or surgical margin status, was only affected by obesity in 19.6% of studies. In this review obesity was frequently found to have no effect on peri-operative and oncologic outcomes.

Keywords: cancer; obesity; outcomes; surgery.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen / pathology
  • Abdomen / surgery*
  • Body Mass Index*
  • Humans
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Postoperative Complications*
  • Treatment Outcome