Nearly one in five severely obese Canadians who undergo emergency surgery will die in hospital, according to a new study. An analysis of operations performed at the University of Alberta Hospital in western Canada found that obese patients require more complex care and the heaviest have the highest rates of complications.
Obesity rates are increasing in Canada and around the world and there has been some study of how well heavier people respond to elective surgery. This study however looked at outcomes of emergency procedures such as appendectomies, abdominal or gall bladder surgeries and hernia repair.
It found that more resources were required for their care such as intensive care, long stays in ICU and repeat surgeries. Dr. David Lau, a professor of medicine at the University of Calgary suggests this and further study could help health care professionals devise ways to improve nutrition, rehabilitation and the allocation of resources for obese patients.
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