title: Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in patients with complex abdominal wall hernias.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic muscle wasting, or sarcopenia, has been associated with poor-health outcomes after major surgical procedures. Here, we explore the utility of CT-generated determinations of sarcopenia as markers of risk in patients undergoing evaluation for complex ventral hernia repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 148 successive patients being evaluated for complex ventral hernia repair, CT scans were analyzed retrospectively for attributes of the hernia and indices of core-muscle mass, correlating them with preoperative clinical/laboratory profiles and outcomes in 82 patients who had undergone surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of sarcopenia, and sarcopenia corrected for obesity, was 26% and 20% respectively. Sarcopenia was associated with age, some laboratory indicators, and increased hospital length of stay but not with a higher likelihood of surgical site occurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity may obscure the value of sarcopenia as a marker of metabolic disturbance and postoperative outcome. Image-based measurements of core-muscle mass should be used with caution as predictors of risk in similar surgical populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Abby K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Geletzke
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Brett E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Dykes
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, The Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA. Electronic address: dsoybel@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: David I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Soybel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006555:Hernia, Ventral / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D059685:Herniorrhaphy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Micronutrient imbalance; Obesity; Outcomes; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenic obesity; Ventral hernia repair