A literature review published in the May issue of the Journal of Arthroplasty attempts to define and identify areas of concern for obese patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty (TJA). “Obesity risk assessment is compounded by the fact that obesity is rarely an isolated diagnosis,” the authors write, “and tends to cluster with other co-morbidities that may independently lead to increased risk such as diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and sleep apnea.” Among the authors’ findings:
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- Despite improvements in patient-related outcome measures, all obese patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty are at increased risk for perioperative complications.
- Patients with a body mass index greater than or equal to 40 who undergo total knee arthroplasty are at risk for the majority of perioperative complications.
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