[Obesity is a risk factor of young onset of acute aortic dissection and postoperative hypoxemia]

We reviewed the effect of obesity in the repair of type A acute aortic dissection (AAD). Between January, 2009 and June, 2010, repair of type A AAD was performed in 51 patients. We divided these patients into 2 groups according to body mass index( BMI). Twenty-two patients whose BMI was≥25 were classified as group O, and 29 patients whose BMI was<25 were classified as group N. The mean age of group O was younger than that in group N(60.2±11.9 versus 68.3±10.2 years, p=0.01). The incidence of postoperative hypoxemia was greater in group O than that in group N(81.8% versus 53.6 %, p=0.036). The intubation period was longer in group O than that in group N(8.0±7.1 days versus 3.7±3.1 days, p=0.014), and the intensive care unit (ICU) stay was longer in group O than that in group N(13.7±8.8 days versus 9.3±5.9 days, p=0.04). Obesity is thought to be a risk of young-onset of AAD and postoperative hypoxemia, as well as a prolonged intubation period and ICU stay.