Do Obese Breast Cancer Patients Have More Complications and a Longer Length of Stay After Mastectomy Than Nonobese Patients?

BACKGROUND

While obesity is thought to increase complication rates in general surgery procedures, its effect in mastectomy patients remains to be fully elucidated. We sought to determine if obesity is associated with a higher complication rate and length of stay after mastectomy, independent of clinicopathologic and treatment factors.

METHODS

Medical records of breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy at our institution between January 2010 and December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were separated into obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30) and nonobese (BMI < 30) categories and compared using nonparametric statistical analyses.

RESULTS

Of 927 patients, 291 (31.2%) were obese. Obese patients had more complications (26.5% vs. 20.0%, P = 0.033) and a greater number of complications per patient (P = 0.025) than nonobese patients. They were more likely to have infections (10.7% vs. 5.7%, P = .009), flap thrombosis/necrosis (5.5% vs. 2.4%, P = .018), and skin breakdown/wound complications (8.6% vs. 4.6%, P = .022). Additionally, obese patients had longer hospital length of stay (LOS; LOS > 2 days: 77.7% vs. 65.2%, P < .001). Controlling for potential confounders, obesity remained associated with a higher rate of thrombosis/necrosis of flap (odds ratio [OR] = 2.26; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-5.08; P = .047) and LOS ≥ 2 days (OR = 1.82; 95% CI 1.23-2.69; P = .003).

CONCLUSION

Obese breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy have more thrombosis/necrosis of flap and a longer hospital LOS than nonobese patients, regardless of other comorbidities and clinicopathologic/treatment factors.