title: Obesity and open-heart surgery in a developing country.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to assess obesity as a risk of adverse outcomes following cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data of 324 consecutive patients who underwent elective procedures requiring cardiopulmonary bypass in a single cardiac center in South-Western Anatolia were retrospectively analyzed. There were 250 males and 74 females. Median age was 58.8 years (range 17 to 90 years). A body mass index (BMI)> or =30 kg/m2 was defined as obesity. Adverse outcomes analyzed included in-hospital mortality, chest tube drainage, reopening, inotropic support, arrhythmias, deep sternal wound infection, superficial surgical site infection and hospital stay duration. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship of obesity with clinical outcomes after cardiac surgery. Covariates considered in the logistic model included age, gender, pulmonary disease, cerebrovascular disease, smoking, hypertension, and diabetes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen percent of patients (47/324) were obese and this ratio is quite smaller than reported for industrialized countries. The results of multiple regression analysis demonstrated that obesity was a risk factor only for superficial sternal or harvesting site infection (odds ratio--4.5, 95% CI--1.404-14.679, p=0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity was associated with increased risk of superficial surgical wound infections following cardiac surgery. In comparison with industrialized countries, obesity may account for fewer adverse events in patients undergoing open-heart surgical procedures in South-Western Anatolia, a developing country sample.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey. guzeld@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Güzel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dişcigil
authors.forename: Erdem Ali
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ozkisacik
authors.forename: Muharrem Ismail
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Badak
authors.forename: Tuğrul
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Güneş
authors.forename: Berent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dişcigil
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology