Two overweighted women walk on a street in Manhattan, New York, the United States, March 24, 2009. (Xinhua)
Patients who had overweight or obesity had higher risk-adjusted odds of developing infection, kidney failure, and venous thromboembolism, or blood clots in the veins, following surgery.
LOS ANGELES, May 1 (Xinhua) -- Obesity is associated with increased risk of complications following surgery, including infection, blood clots, and kidney complications, according to a new research published on Monday.
Using data drawn from the U.S. National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, researchers at the University of Colorado Department of Surgery studied an initial data set representing more than 5.5 million patients, 44.6 percent of whom had obesity.
They found that compared to patients of normal weight, patients who had overweight or obesity had higher risk-adjusted odds of developing infection, kidney failure, and venous thromboembolism, or blood clots in the veins, following surgery.
Overweight and obesity also can be a factor in patients' immediate recovery from surgery, according to the research, published in the journal SURGERY. ■
