Obese At Greater Risk During Surgery
June 17, 2009 by Cherie Burbach
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
New research suggests that severely obese individuals (those with a body mass index of 40 or greater) have a greater risk of complications after surgery. The obese are at greater risk of “heart problems, wound infections, prolonged hospital stays and other complications.”
The study also indicates that doctors downplay the risks involved, especially as they relate to the heart. Health-care professionals need be more diligent in determining a person’s risk, including “electrocardiograms, chest X-rays and other non-invasive evaluations.”
Image: sxc.hu.
