Obesity and Perioperative Morbidity after Total Hip Arthroplasty in Osteoarthritis Patients

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of obesity on perioperative morbidity following total hip arthroplasty in patients with severe osteoarthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between April 1987 and April 2007, 272 patients with severe osteoarthritis underwent total hip arthroplasty. One hundred seventeen patients were obese (body mass index, BMI> or =25 kg/m2), and 155 were not obese (BMI0.05). However, the medical complication rate was significantly higher in the obese group compared to the non-obese group (4.3% vs. 0.6%, p or =25 kg/m2) has no observable effect on perioperative morbidity in terms of length of hospital stay, operation time, total blood loss and replacement, or surgical complication rate, but is associated with a higher medical complication rate.