• Venkata R Kakarla, Kalyana Nandipati, Michael Lalla, Armando Castro, and Stephen Merola.
• New York Hospital Queens, Weil Cornell Medical College, Queens, New York, USA.
• Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2011 Jul 1;7(4):452-8.

BackgroundThe safety of laparoscopic bariatric procedures in superobese patients is still debatable.MethodsUsing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program's participant-use file, the patients who had undergone laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity were identified. Several perioperative variables, including 30-day morbidity and mortality, were collected, and the data were compared within each procedure after dividing the patients according to the body mass index: <50 kg/m(2) (morbidly obese group and ≥50 kg/m(2) (superobese group).ResultsA total of 29,323 patients who had undergone laparoscopic bariatric procedures from 2005 to 2008 were identified. Overall, compared with the morbidly obese group, the superobese group had more men (3:2), younger patients, a greater incidence of co-morbidities (e.g., hypertension and dyspnea), a significantly increased length of stay, and a greater rate of 30-day mortality (.26% versus .07%, odds ratio [OR] 4.38, P = .0001). In the gastric bypass group, the superobese group had a significantly greater incidence of postoperative complications, including superficial wound infections (2.45%, OR 1.68, P = .0001), reintubation (.61%, OR 1.97, P = .003), pulmonary embolism (.30%, OR 2.13, P = .032), myocardial infarction (.07%, P = .017), deep vein thrombosis (.49%, OR 2.06, P = .006), septic shock (.44%, OR 1.74, P = .04), and 30-day mortality (.28%, OR 2.26, P = .026). In the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding group, the superobese group had a significantly greater incidence of postoperative complications, including superficial (1.65%, OR 2.18, P = .0013) and deep (.23%, OR 2.56, P = .035) wound infections, sepsis, septic shock and 30-day mortality (.17%, OR 13.4, P = .0219).ConclusionLaparoscopic bariatric procedures in superobese patients have been associated with significantly increased complications, including 30-day mortality, compared with morbidly obese patients. However, overall, the procedures appear to be safe, with low complication and 30-day mortality rates.Copyright © 2011 American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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