title: Impact of obesity on early outcomes after cardiac surgery: experience in a Saudi Arabian center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The prevalence of obesity is a public health concern in most countries, including Saudi Arabia. Obesity has been considered a major risk factor for adverse outcomes after cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single-center retrospective review (2001-2005) of adverse outcome after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve surgery (total=462) categorized by body mass index (BMI) was performed. The patients with BMI>or=30 were defined as the obese group and patients whose BMI<30 were labeled as the nonobese group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 315 (68.2%) were classified as nonobese, and 147 (31.8%) were obese. Obese patients were older and more likely to have diabetes and hypertension. There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to other comorbidity and risk factors. There was no association between the two groups and the outcomes of operative mortality and morbidities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated that obesity does not increase the risk of death and most complications after cardiac surgery, aside from the unexplained increased risk of reoperation during the same admission.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit, Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ghassan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baslaim
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bashore
authors.forename: Khaled
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alhoroub
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult