Complications frequent for obese patients vs controls following acetabular, pelvic fracture repair

LAS VEGAS — Patients who had surgery for acetabular and/or closed ring pelvic fractures and were identified as morbidly obese were more likely to have postoperative complications compared with patients who were not morbidly obese, according to results presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.

Using the National Trauma Data Bank, James Carson, MD, and his colleagues identified 45,119 control patients and 1,331 patients who were categorized as morbidly obese. He noted that patients who were morbidly obese were more likely to be female and more likely to have sustained high-energy fractures. All patients in the study were adults and were treated for acetabular fracture, pelvic fracture or both fracture types.

During his presentation, Carson noted that obese patients in all of the fracture type groups were more likely to have complications following surgery. Obese patients who underwent pelvic surgery were three times more likely to experience complications such as thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolisms or systemic sepsis.

Recovery complications were 2.5-times more likely in obese patients who had surgery for both fracture types and two-times more likely following nonoperative treatments.

Following surgery, obese patients were also more likely to be discharged to a rehabilitation center vs. home, regardless of fracture type.

Limitations of the study included the information available in the data bank. Patients were either listed as morbidly obese or not obese, and BMI data was not available. -by Shirley Pulawski

Reference:

Carson J, et al. Paper #377. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting; March 24-28, 2015; Las Vegas.

Disclosure: Carson reports no relevant financial disclosures.