Perioperative and long-term complications among obese women undergoing vaginal surgery

To determine whether obesity influenced the risk of perioperative and long-term complications in patients undergoing vaginal surgery.

Women diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse who underwent vaginal surgery between March 1999 and May 2007 were classified into 3 groups: normal weight (body mass index [BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters] 18.5-23.0); overweight (BMI 23.0-27.5); and obese (BMI >or=27.5). Complications were subdivided into perioperative (<1 month) and long-term (>or=1 month). Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance, chi(2) test, and logistic regression.

Demographic information showed no differences among the groups, except for the presence of comorbidity (P=0.03). Blood loss and transfusion as a perioperative complication and urinary retention as a long-term complication were significantly different among the groups: odds ratio (OR) 2.46 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-4.39; P<0.01); and OR 2.20 (95% CI, 1.21-4.03; P=0.03), respectively.

Major complications were rare, and most were not significantly different among the groups. However, obesity was a protective factor against blood loss and transfusion, and long-term urinary retention.