VIDEO: Weight loss may decrease postoperative complication risk after lumbar spinal fusion
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Key takeaways:
- Results showed obesity was associated with increased operative times, blood loss and infection risk.
- Patients who lost weight before surgery had decreased infection risk vs. the obese group.
SAN FRANCISCO — Severe or morbidly obese patients had increased operative times, estimated blood loss and rates of surgical site infection after lumbar spinal fusion vs. patients with lower BMI, according to data presented here.
In addition, patients who sustained significant weight loss before surgery had a decreased risk for infection vs. patients in the obese group.
“We believe these data will help inform surgeons in preoperative planning to better predict those patients who may be at higher risk for longer length of stay after lumbar fusion, as well as a higher infection rate, which can have important sequela for patients, including revision surgery, prolonged hospital stays, more frequent hospital visits and perhaps even plastic surgery intervention,” Tina Raman, MD, director of research for the division of spine surgery at NYU Langone, told Healio about results presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.
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Raman T, et al. Paper 363. Presented at: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting; Feb. 12-16, 2024; San Francisco.
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