A recent study showed that lung cancer surgery takes longer and is more expensive if the patient is also obese. The researchers analyzed data from more than 19,000 patients who underwent lung surgery to remove a portion of the lung due to lung cancer between 2006 and 2010. The researchers found that for every 10 units of an increase in BMI, the time spent for the operation increased by 7.2 minutes.
Body mass index is a measure of body fat based on weight and height, and about a quarter of the study participants were obese (meaning that their BMI is 30 or more).
Obesity did not increase the risk of death within 30 days of surgery or increase the length of stay in the hospital. However, the increased cost comes due to the increase in time inside the operating room.
The researchers showed the need to emphasize the importance of losing weight and choosing a healthy lifestyle. The researchers suggested that the duration of the surgery may be reduced by expanding the operating rooms and increasing the sizes of operating tables and surgical tools to suit obese patients.
