Outcomes of the morbidly obese having cardiac surgery

Obesity has been perceived to be a risk factor for adverse outcomes following cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that patients with morbid obesity (defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater or equal to 40 kg/m(2)) would have increased rates of mortality and morbidity following cardiac surgery.

The case records of patients who had cardiac surgery between January 1996 and August 2002, who had a BMI greater or equal to 40 kg/m(2), were reviewed retrospectively and compared with a representative control group randomly selected from the same database. Differences between the two groups were determined using multiple and logistical regression.

Out of the 4381 patients who had cardiac surgery, 28 patients were morbidly obese (0.6%). No morbidly obese patients and one control patient died in hospital (p = 0.31). Patients with morbid obesity had non-statistically significant increases in length of postoperative intensive care stay, hospital stay, infections, inotrope use and requirements for pacing.

This study was unable to demonstrate that morbidly obese patients having cardiac surgery had statistically significant increased morbidity or mortality.