|
Back to 2015 Annual Meeting Program
Impact of Obesity on Postoperative Outcomes Following Resection for Gastric Cancer
Benjamin Struecker*, Matthias Biebl, Johann Pratschke, Andreas Andreou
Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin, Germany
Background: Obesity is generally considered to be associated with increased postoperative morbidity and mortality following intra-abdominal cancer surgery. However, recent reports showed that overweight patients may have a lower risk for adverse postoperative outcomes and this observation has been described as the "obesity paradox". Therefore, we aimed to analyze the impact of obesity on outcomes after resection for gastric cancer.
Methods: Data of patients who underwent resection for gastric cancer between 2005 and 2012 were assessed. Patient characteristics, postoperative outcomes und long-term survivals were compared between patients with BMI ≥30 and BMI <30.
Results: Resection for gastric cancer was performed in 249 patients. BMI ≥30 was identified in 49 patients. Obese patients with BMI ≥30, were more frequently diagnosed with diabetes (31% vs. 16%, P =.015). Resection for gastric cancer in obese patients was significantly associated with longer duration of surgery (278 minutes vs. 243 minutes, P <.001), longer duration of hospital stay (18 days vs. 16 days, P =. 028), increased postoperative morbidity (49% vs. 33%, P =.037) and increased in-hospital mortality (P =.028). The was no significant difference in overall survival between patients with BMI ≥30 and patients with BMI <30 (5-year overall survival 59% vs. 62% P =.587)
Conclusion: Obesity may complicate resection for gastric cancer increasing the duration of surgical procedure, hospital stay and thus perioperative costs. Additionally, BMI ≥30 is a predictor of increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Therefore, weight reduction prior to major oncologic resection should be considered as indispensable in order to reduce the complication rate and prevent postoperative mortality after resection for gastric cancer.
Back to 2015 Annual Meeting Program
|
