Obese Patients At Greater Risk Of Infection And Other Complications Following Knee Replacement Surgery

Main Category: Bones / Orthopedics
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness;  Arthritis / Rheumatology
Article Date: 26 Oct 2012 - 1:00 PDT

Current ratings for:
Obese Patients At Greater Risk Of Infection And Other Complications Following Knee Replacement Surgery

Patient / Public:
Healthcare Prof:

Obese patients have a greater risk of complications following total knee replacement surgery, including post-surgical infections, according to a new literature review recently published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). Because of complications, obese patients are more likely to require follow-up surgery (revision).

Obesity is reaching epidemic proportions, particularly in the United States, and is a well-documented risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis. Arthritis is initially treated nonsurgically, but total joint replacement often becomes necessary if the disease progresses. Consequently, the rate of joint replacements in obese individuals has increased in the last several decades.

"Orthopaedic operations can technically be more difficult in obese people, and it is important for us to know whether there is a higher complication rate in the obese, and if the long-term outcome is worse," says Gino M.M.J. Kerkhoffs, MD, PhD, an orthopaedic surgeon at the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, and lead author of the study. Findings include:

• Obese patients have double the rate of infection following total knee replacement surgery compared to non-obese patients.
• Obese patients' rate of infection is higher for both superficial and deep infections.
• The long-term surgical revision rate for obese patients is nearly double that for non-obese patients.

The paper's authors advise that knee replacement surgery not be withheld from obese patients. Rather, obese patients should be well-informed of the likelihood of complications following their total knee replacement, and advised to lose weight before surgery. Orthopaedic surgeons should be prepared to refer them to medical weight-loss professionals, if necessary. The authors also note that weight loss could lessen some patients' osteoarthritis symptoms.

"Although these results are not really surprising," Kerkhoffs says, "for the obese patient, this literature sheds new light on treatment options for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis: a total knee replacement is not the 'easy solution.'"

• Additional
• References
• Citations

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our bones / orthopedics section for the latest news on this subject.

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

n.p. "Obese Patients At Greater Risk Of Infection And Other Complications Following Knee Replacement Surgery." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 26 Oct. 2012. Web.
26 Oct. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/251986.php>

---

APA

n.p. (2012, October 26). "Obese Patients At Greater Risk Of Infection And Other Complications Following Knee Replacement Surgery." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/251986.php.

---

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

---

'Obese Patients At Greater Risk Of Infection And Other Complications Following Knee Replacement Surgery'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/251986.php

Full Report Read Full Article Read Full Report Get the facts