Obesity hurts recovery after colon cancer surgery

	Tweet

After undergoing surgery to remove part of the colon because of cancer, morbidly obese patients face higher complication rates than do normal-weight patients, according to a new report.

In a study of 3,200 colon cancer patients, Dr. Ryan P. Merkow from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine in Aurora, Colorado, and colleagues found that while the risk of post-op complications was high for overweight and obese patients, the highest risk was for morbidly obese patients—those with a body mass index or BMI of 35 and higher.

Specifically, morbidly obese patients were significantly more likely than were normal-weight patients to develop infections of the surgical site, wounds that didn’t heal properly, a blood clot to the lungs, and kidney failure, the investigators report in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 

"We believe,” Merkow told Reuters Health, “in this subset of patients, quality improvement initiatives should focus on these particular complications.”

Overall, the odds of having any complication was 75 percent higher for morbidly obese patients and 29 percent higher for overweight patients, compared with normal-weight patients.

In contrast, the investigators say, BMI had no significant impact on the risk of dying in the 30 days after surgery.

SOURCE: Journal of the American College of Surgeons, January 2009.

RELATED STORIES:
Women require less tobacco exposure than men to increase colon cancer risk   Black Raspberries May Slow Growth of Colon, Other Cancers   Colorectal Cancer in Vietnamese Americans   Earlier onset of colorectal cancer associated with alcohol use, tobacco use and male gender   Age differences seen in rectal cancer treatment   Tips to Lower Risk of Colorectal Cancer; New Combined Colonoscopy Procedure Avoids Major Surgery   Can a Mediterranean Diet Help Prevent Colon Cancer?   Colonoscopy Prep Harder on Women than Men   Metabolic syndrome ups colorectal cancer risk   Protein Levels Indicate Risk of Death in Some Colorectal Cancer Patients   Statin drugs may lower colon cancer risk - study   Saturated Fat Linked to Cancer of the Small Intestine   NSAIDs tied to reduced death after colon cancer   How Diarrheal Bacteria Cause Some Colon Cancers   For non-whites, geography plays key role in colon cancer screening   Surgery Complications Linked to Chemotherapy Delay   Sex, Age and Ethnicity Associated With Colorectal Cancer Survival   Chemicals in curry and onions may help prevent colon cancer   Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Reduce Risk of Colon Cancer   High folate intake may reduce risk of colorectal cancer   Aspirin’s ability to protect against colorectal cancer may depend on inflammatory pathways   Genetic Testing May Be Valuable in Treating Colorectal Cancer

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]