Coronary artery bypass graft operations can be performed safely in obese patients.

Objectives: Obesity is a major public health problem with an increasing prevalence. Although coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) operations are now performed with low morbidity and mortality rates, obesity is still assumed to be an important risk factor for morbidity and mortality at these operations but there is no precise approach to define it as a risk factor. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of obesity on the clinical outcome of the CABG operations.

Methods: A total of 1206 patients, who underwent isolated CABG operation under cardiopulmonary bypass were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were divided into three groups. Group I was normal weight, with body mass index (BMI) of 18-24.9 kg/m(2), group II was overweight, with a BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m(2), and group III was obese, with a BMI of >30 kg/m(2). The clinical data of three groups were evaluated in aspects of postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Results: Except for the superficial wound infections, there were no differences in postoperative mortality and morbidity rates between the three groups. Obesity was not found to be an important risk factor for postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Conclusions: Despite the perception that obesity increases the risk of mortality and morbidity in CABG operations, the clinical outcome of these patients are not so different from other patients. We may say that obese patients can be safely operated.