Obesity and posterior spine fusion surgery: A prospective observational study

Obesity is an important issue in spine surgeries due to its negative effects on the quality of surgery, more complications, and adverse consequences. This study compared the outcomes of obese and non-obese patients undergoing instrumented posterior fusion surgery in the lumbar spine.

In this prospective observational study conducted in a university hospital, we compared the rate of vertebral fusion, surgical site infection (SSI), pain, and disability in 160 patients undergoing instrumented posterior fusion surgery in the lumbar spine between obese and non-obese patients.

A total of 160 patients, 80 in each group, were included. Obesity was associated with a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (P < 0.05). Poor outcomes, including non-fusion, SSI, pain, and disability were significantly higher in the obese group versus the non-obese group (P < 0.05). The multiple regression analysis indicated that obesity is an independent predictor of non-fusion, more pain, disability, and SSI.

These findings suggest that the association of obesity with postoperative complications may help in the evaluation and selection of patients before surgery and preoperative weight management is important.