title: Comparison of bariatric and non-bariatric elective operations in morbidly obese patients on the basis of wound infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wound infection rates after various types of bariatric operations have been well described. The question of whether bariatric surgery increases wound infection rate compared with similar elective surgical procedures in obese patients has not been clearly answered. The purpose of this study was to investigate wound status of morbidly obese patients after elective general surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective evaluation was conducted of 141 morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric (n=60) and non-bariatric elective general surgery operation of similar invasiveness (n=81) with the ASEPSIS wound surveillance method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median age of patients undergoing non-bariatric elective surgery (51, 32-68) was significantly higher than patients exposed to bariatric surgery (39, 24-57). Patients undergoing bariatric surgery had higher BMIs (44.0, 35-52.5) compared to the others (38.4, 35-43). All patients enrolled in the study were followed for a 21-day period. At the 7th postoperative day, 9 patients in the bariatric surgery group developed infection (15%), whereas 13 patients (16%) in the non-bariatric surgery group suffered wound infection. Wound infection was still present in 2 patients (3.4%) in the bariatric surgery group and 3 patients (3.7%) in the non-bariatric surgery group at the 21st day. Risk factors for wound infection included history of coronary artery diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory illness and malignant disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bariatric surgery does not cause an additional risk of postoperative wound infection in morbidly obese patients, compared to elective general surgical operations of the same invasiveness.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. serdartopaloglu@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Topaloglu
authors.forename: Fatih M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Avsar
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozel
authors.forename: Merve
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Babacan
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Berkem
authors.forename: Yigit
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hengirmen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050110:Bariatric Surgery; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology