Obesity and surgical wound healing: a current review.
Objective. The correlation between obesity and deficient wound healing has long been established. This review examines the current literature on the mechanisms involved in obesity-related perioperative morbidity. Methods. A literature search was performed using Medline, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Internet searches. Keywords used include obesity, wound healing, adipose healing, and bariatric and surgical complications. Results. Substantial evidence exists demonstrating that obesity is associated with a number of postoperative complications. Specifically in relation to wound healing, explanations include inherent anatomic features of adipose tissue, vascular insufficiencies, cellular and composition modifications, oxidative stress, alterations in immune mediators, and nutritional deficiencies. Most recently, advances made in the field of gene array have allowed researchers to determine a few plausible alterations and deficiencies in obese individuals that contribute to their increased risk of morbidity and mortality, especially wound complications. Conclusion. While the literature discusses how obesity may negatively affect health on various of medical fronts, there is yet to be a comprehensive study detailing all the mechanisms involved in obesity-related morbidities in their entirety. Improved knowledge and understanding of obesity-induced physiological, cellular, molecular, and chemical changes will facilitate better assessments of surgical risks and outcomes and create efficient treatment protocols for improved patient care of the obese patient population.
Institute for Tissue Regeneration, Repair & Rehabilitation, Bay Pines VA Health Care System, Bay Pines, FL 33744, USA ; Division of Plastic Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Yvonne N
YN
Pierpont
Division of Plastic Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Trish Phuong
TP
Dinh
Institute for Tissue Regeneration, Repair & Rehabilitation, Bay Pines VA Health Care System, Bay Pines, FL 33744, USA ; Division of Plastic Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
R Emerick
RE
Salas
Institute for Tissue Regeneration, Repair & Rehabilitation, Bay Pines VA Health Care System, Bay Pines, FL 33744, USA ; Division of Plastic Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Erika L
EL
Johnson
Institute for Tissue Regeneration, Repair & Rehabilitation, Bay Pines VA Health Care System, Bay Pines, FL 33744, USA ; Division of Plastic Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Terry G
TG
Wright
Division of Plastic Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Martin C
MC
Robson
Institute for Tissue Regeneration, Repair & Rehabilitation, Bay Pines VA Health Care System, Bay Pines, FL 33744, USA ; Division of Plastic Surgery, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Wyatt G
WG
Payne