TY - JOUR
T1 - The effects of obesity on spine surgery
T2 - A systematic review of the literature
AU - Jackson, Keith L.
AU - Devine, John G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart New York.
PY - 2016/7/1
Y1 - 2016/7/1
N2 - Study Design Literature review. Objective The aim of this literature review is to examine the effects of obesity on postoperative complications and functional outcomes after spine surgery. Methods A review of the relevant literature examining the effects of obesity and spine surgery was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases. Results Obesity contributes to disk degeneration and low back pain and potentially increases the risk of developing operative pathology. Obese patients undergoing spine surgery have a higher risk of developing postoperative complications, particularly surgical site infection and venous thromboembolism. Though functional outcomes in this population may not mirror the general population, the treatment effect associated with surgery is at least equivalent if not better in obese individuals. This reduction is primarily due to worse outcomes associated with nonoperative treatment in the obese population. Conclusion Obese individuals represent a unique patient population with respect to nonoperative treatment, postoperative complication rates, and functional outcomes. However, given the equivalent or greater treatment effect of surgery, this comorbidity should not prohibit obese patients from undergoing operative intervention. Future investigations in this area should attempt to develop strategies to minimize complications and improve outcomes in obese individuals and also examine the role of controlled weight loss preoperatively to mitigate these risks.
AB - Study Design Literature review. Objective The aim of this literature review is to examine the effects of obesity on postoperative complications and functional outcomes after spine surgery. Methods A review of the relevant literature examining the effects of obesity and spine surgery was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases. Results Obesity contributes to disk degeneration and low back pain and potentially increases the risk of developing operative pathology. Obese patients undergoing spine surgery have a higher risk of developing postoperative complications, particularly surgical site infection and venous thromboembolism. Though functional outcomes in this population may not mirror the general population, the treatment effect associated with surgery is at least equivalent if not better in obese individuals. This reduction is primarily due to worse outcomes associated with nonoperative treatment in the obese population. Conclusion Obese individuals represent a unique patient population with respect to nonoperative treatment, postoperative complication rates, and functional outcomes. However, given the equivalent or greater treatment effect of surgery, this comorbidity should not prohibit obese patients from undergoing operative intervention. Future investigations in this area should attempt to develop strategies to minimize complications and improve outcomes in obese individuals and also examine the role of controlled weight loss preoperatively to mitigate these risks.
KW - Obesity
KW - lumbar spine
KW - surgical site infection
KW - venous thromboembolism
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U2 - 10.1055/s-0035-1570750
DO - 10.1055/s-0035-1570750
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85020804943
SN - 2192-5682
VL - 6
SP - 394
EP - 400
JO - Global Spine Journal
JF - Global Spine Journal
IS - 4
ER -