ReviewSurgical neurology international2017
More risks and complications for elective spine surgery in morbidly obese patients.
Review in Surgical neurology international, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 68 citations in OpenAlex.
- Does an increased preoperative body mass index (BMI) affect adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery outcomes and complications? A meta-analysis.Spine deformity · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of BMI on perioperative outcomes following total thyroidectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Thyroid research · 2026Review
- Evaluating the impact of body-mass index on short- and medium-term outcomes after lumbar endoscopic decompression surgery: a single‑surgeon, multi‑hospital cohort study.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- The impact of morbid obesity and metabolic syndrome in elective spine surgery outcomes: A systematic review.North American Spine Society journal · 2026Review
- 'Rebound Phenomenon' - a Cause of Early Cage Back-out in Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery: Insights from Case Series of 1545 Patients.Indian journal of orthopaedics · 2025Article
- Early vs. Late Unplanned Returns to the Operating Room (URTOR) in Neurosurgery: Effect of Surgeon Experience and Complication Types.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Article
- Letter to the Editor: Rapid bodyweight reduction before lumbar fusion surgery increased postoperative complications.Asian spine journal · 2025Article
- Racial Differences in Perioperative Complications, Readmissions, and Mortalities After Elective Spine Surgery in the United States: A Systematic Review Using AI-Assisted Bibliometric Analysis.Global spine journal · 2024Article
- Anterior cervical surgery for morbidly obese patients should be performed in-hospitals.Surgical neurology international · 2024Review
- Associations of overweight/obesity with patient-reported outcome measures after oblique lumbar interbody fusion.Frontiers in surgery · 2024Article
- Severe Obesity Is an Independent Risk Factor of Early Readmission and Nonhome Discharge After Cervical Disc Replacement.Neurospine · 2023Article
- Impact of body mass index on PROMIS outcomes following lumbar decompression.Acta neurochirurgica · 2023Article
- A standardized anesthetic/analgetic regimen compared to standard anesthetic/analgetic regimen for patients with high-risk factors undergoing open lumbar spine surgery: a prospective comparative single-center study.Neurosurgical review · 2023Article
- Who bleeds during elective anterior lumbar surgery?North American Spine Society journal · 2022Article
- The Inherent Value of Preoperative Optimization-Absolute and Incremental Reduction in Components of Metabolic Syndrome Can Enhance Recovery and Minimize Perioperative Burden.International journal of spine surgery · 2022Article
- Complications of Spine Surgery in "Super Obese" Patients.Global spine journal · 2022Article
- Identifying risks factors in thoracolumbar anterior fusion surgery through predictive analytics in a nationally representative inpatient sample.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2022Article
- Can the Full-Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy in Day Surgery Mode Achieve Better Outcomes Following Enhanced Recovery after Surgery Protocol? A Retrospective Comparative Study.Frontiers in surgery · 2022Article
- A Study Investigating Whether BMI Is Associated With Acetabular Bone Size: Big Bones or a Big Myth?Cureus · 2021Article
- Treatment strategy to maximize the treatment outcome of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula after initial endovascular embolization attempt at diagnostic angiography.Scientific reports · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe vast majority of studies emphasize the greater morbidity/mortality for elective spine surgery in morbidly obese patients.
methodsThis review focuses on the increased morbidity/mortality of performing elective spinal operations in morbidly obese patients. There are two definitions of morbid obesity; a body mass index (BMI) of equal to or greater than 35 plus two major comorbid factors (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, etc.) or a BMI (morbidly obese III) of =≥40 kg/m
resultsFor patients undergoing spinal surgery, morbid obesity increases perioperative morbidity/mortality for various reasons. The quality of preoperative and intraoperative imaging is often compromised potentially leading to mistaken preoperative diagnoses, and wrong level surgery. Resultant major technical surgical limitations include poor/inadequate operative exposure, and the risk of suboptimal placement of instrumentation There is also increased exposure to major perioperative complications such as deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, infection, pneumonia, cardiac complications, blindness in the prone position, brachial and lumbar plexus injuries, increased anesthetic risks (e.g., even using awake intubation/awake positioning), and postoperative wound seromas/hematomas.
conclusionsMost of the spinal literature documents the marked increased perioperative morbidity/mortality for morbidly obese patients undergoing elective spine surgery. If elective surgery is warranted in these patients, the risks and timing of surgical intervention should include consideration of major preoperative weight loss strategies including bariatric procedures to optimize outcomes.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.