Obesity increases risk of complications after shoulder joint replacement surgery
"Increasing BMI is strongly associated with increased rates of revision surgical procedures and postoperative complications after shoulder arthroplasty," write Eric R. Wagner, MD, and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Their findings suggest that, above a certain level of obesity, complication risk increases steadily along with increasing body mass index (BMI). Complication Risks Increase Steadily with Higher BMI The study included data on 4,567 shoulder arthroplasties performed between 1970 and 2013. Various shoulder arthroplasty procedures are performed to treat shoulder pain and loss of function resulting from arthritis or other conditions. Forty-three percent of the shoulder arthroplasty patients were obese (defined as a BMI of 30 or higher). The researchers analyzed the relationship between BMI and different types of complications. Overall, 302 patients needed revision surgery due to mechanical failure, loosening of the implant, or other causes. An