Association of body mass index and morbidity after abdominal, vaginal, and laparoscopic hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of body mass index (BMI) and operative time and perioperative morbidity after hysterectomy and determine whether the association varies among abdominal, laparoscopic, and vaginal approaches.

METHODS

Data abstracted from the American College of Surgeons National Safety and Quality Improvement Project registry included 55,409 women who underwent hysterectomy for benign conditions between January 2005 and December 2012. The relationships among BMI, operative time, and morbidity were examined, adjusting for age, race, ethnicity, year of surgery, smoking, diabetes, and American Society for Anesthesiologists physical classification. Adjusted means, incidence rate ratios, or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using linear, Poisson, or logistic regression, respectively.

RESULTS

Body mass index was positively correlated with risk of wound complications and infection in women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. Compared with those of normal BMI, women with BMIs 40 or higher had five times the odds of wound dehiscence (2.1% compared with 0.3%, crude OR 7.35, CI 3.78-14.30; adjusted OR 5.33, CI 2.63-10.8), five times the odds of wound infection (8.9% compared with 1.4%, crude OR 6.81, CI 5.00-9.27; adjusted OR 5.34, CI 3.85-7.41), and 89% higher odds of sepsis (1.3% compared with 0.6%, crude OR 2.39, CI 1.35-4.24; adjusted OR 1.89, CI 1.01-3.52). The magnitude of the association between wound infection and BMI was smaller after vaginal hysterectomy, and no increased odds of wound complications or sepsis were noted with a laparoscopic approach despite longer operative times. Operative time increased with BMI regardless of surgical approach. No associations were noted between BMI and hospital stay or thromboembolism.

CONCLUSION

Obesity is associated with increased wound complications and infection in women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy and with longer operative times regardless of surgical approach. Vaginal or laparoscopic hysterectomy should be performed whenever feasible.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.