The Morbidly Obese Surgical Patient

Over the past few decades, the incidence of obesity has been steadily rising in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates greater than 40% of the US adult population is obese. Rising obesity rates are also increasing among children and adolescents as well, with nearly one in five children and adolescents considered obese. As a result, surgeons today face the challenge of caring for an increasing number of morbidly obese patients, and this trend is expected to worsen over time. This review covers preoperative evaluation, obesity-related comorbidities, respiratory insufficiency, anesthesia in patients with respiratory insufficiency, intraoperative management, postoperative management, complications of gastric surgery for obesity, diabetes mellitus, wound care, and other obesity-related diseases. Figures show impaired pulmonary function in the morbidly obese improved significantly after weight loss induced by bariatric surgery, significant improvement in mean pulmonary arterial pressure in 18 patients, 3 to 9 months after gastric surgery-induced weight loss of 42% ± 19% of excess weight, and a chronic venous stasis ulcer present for several years in a morbidly obese patient. The tables list evaluation and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, and indications for extended postoperative chemoprophylaxis for venous thromboembolism in morbidly obese patients. This review contains 3 highly rendered figures, 2 tables, and 46 references Keywords: morbid obesity, obesity, metabolic surgery, venous thromboembolism chemoprophylaxis, Obstructive Sleep Apnea