Visceral Adipose Tissue Percentage Compared to Body Mass Index as Better Indicator of Surgical Outcomes in Women With Obesity and Endometrial Cancer.

Study Objective: To assess the impact visceral adipose tissue percentage (VAT%) on surgical outcomes during minimally invasive surgery in obese women with endometrial cancer.

Design: Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting: Mie University Hospital, Japan.

Patients: Of the 73 women (body mass index [BMI] >30 kg/m) with obesity and primary endometrial cancer, 52 underwent robotic surgery, while 21 underwent laparoscopic surgery between April 2014 and December 2022.

Interventions: We investigated the correlation between surgical outcomes (operative time and blood loss) and obesity (BMI and visceral adipose tissue percentage [VAT%]).

Measurements And Main Results: Abdominal fat-related parameters were measured at the level of the umbilicus using preoperative computed tomography. A weak negative correlation was found between BMI and VAT% (CC = -0.313, p = .001). Multivariate analysis showed that VAT% had a stronger correlation to total and practical operative time than BMI (β = 0.338 vs 0.267, β = 0.311 vs 0.209, respectively) and was an independent predictor of blood loss. VAT% was an independent predictive marker prolonged for operative time and increased blood loss during lymphadenectomy.

Conclusion: VAT% could be an indicator of surgical outcomes for patients with obesity and endometrial cancer.