Heart valve surgery and the obesity paradox: A systematic review.

Obesity has been associated with increased incidence of comorbidities and shorter life expectancy, and it has generally been assumed that patients with obesity should have inferior outcomes after surgery. Previous literature has often demonstrated equivalent or even improved rates of mortality after cardiac surgery when compared to their lower-weight counterparts, coined the obesity paradox. Herein, we aim to review the literature investigating the impact of obesity on surgical valve interventions.