Implications of Obesity on Endoscopic Sinus Surgery Postoperative Complications: An Analysis of the NSQIP Database

To evaluate the influence of body mass index on postoperative adverse events in adult patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery.

Retrospective cohort study.

Database of the American College of Surgeons NSQIP (National Surgical Quality Improvement Program) from 2006 to 2018.

The NSQIP database was queried for adult patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery. The total sample (N = 1546) was stratified by nonobese (18.5 kg/m²≤ body mass index <30 kg/m²) and obese (≥30 kg/m²). Demographics, comorbidities, intraoperative variables, and postoperative adverse events were compared via chi-square analysis and multivariable logistic regression.

Obese patients accounted for 49.7% (n = 768) of the cohort. Obese patients had a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists classification (class III, 45.1% vs 29.5%; P < .001), rate of diabetes (18.2% vs 7.2%, P < .001), and rate of hypertension requiring medication (43.1% vs 23.0%, P < .001). Nonobese patients were more likely to be >58 years of age (23.4% vs 29.0%, P = .02) and have disseminated cancer (<1% vs 3.2%, P < .001). The obese cohort had a lower frequency of surgical complications (3.0% vs 5.4%, P = .027), driven by frequency of perioperative bleeding (1.8% vs 3.7%, P = .022). There was no statistical difference in medical complications (P = .775), unplanned readmissions (P = .286), unplanned reoperations (P = .053), or 30-day mortality (P > .999). After multivariable adjustment, obese subjects had decreased odds of any surgical complication (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.567; 95% CI, 0.329-0.979), perioperative bleeding (aOR, 0.474; 95% CI, 0.239-0.942), and any adverse postoperative event (aOR, 0.740; 95% CI, 0.566-0.968).

Obesity does not increase the risk of 30-day adverse outcomes following endoscopic sinus surgery and may even be protective against perioperative bleeding.