Obese patients have similar short-term outcomes to non-obese in laparoscopic colorectal surgery

Table 1 Patient characteristics n (%)

	All	BMI < 25	BMI 26-30	BMI > 30	P value
Number	254	106 (41.7)	98 (38.6)	50 (19.7)	< 0.001
Males	122 (48)	41 (38.7)	58 (59.2)	23 (46)	0.01
BMI	26 (23-30)	22.5 (2.1)	27.8 (1.5)	35.3 (5.9)	< 0.001
ASA grade	2 (0.6)	1.9 (0.6)	2.0 (0.6)	2.2 (0.6)	0.04
Previous abdominal surgery	80 (31.5)	34 (32)	30 (30.6)	16 (32)	0.972
Co-morbidities	187 (73.6)	76 (71.7)	75 (76.5)	36 (72)	0.789

Data presented as mean (standard deviation) unless otherwise indicated. Comparisons are between the three BMI groups. BMI: Body mass index; ASA: American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Table 2 Nature and number of operations

Operation	Total	BMI < 25	BMI 26-30	BMI > 30	P value
Anterior resection	107 (42.1)	46 (43.4)	37 (37.8)	24 (48)	0.462
Right hemicolectomy	82 (32.3)	32 (30.2)	34 (34.7)	16 (32)	0.789
Left hemicolectomy	7 (2.8)	3 (2.8)	2 (2.1)	2 (2)	0.787
Ileocaecal resection	10 (3.9)	5 (4.7)	5 (5.1)	0 (0)	0.277
Panproctocolectomy	7 (2.8)	5 (4.7)	2 (2.1)	0 (0)	0.209
Abdominoperineal resection	2 (0.8)	0 (0)	2 (2.1)	0 (0)	0.201
Sigmoid colectomy	5 (2)	1 (0.9)	3 (3.1)	1 (2)	0.553
Subtotal/total colectomy	11 (4.4)	6 (5.7)	3 (3.1)	2 (4)	0.426
Hartmann’s	3 (1.2)	1 (0.9)	2 (2.1)	0 (0)	0.530
Miscellaneous	20 (7.9)	7 (6.6)	8 (8.2)	5 (10)	0.756

Data presented as absolute number (percentage). Comparisons are between the three BMI groups. BMI: Body mass index.

Table 3 Outcomes split by body mass index

	BMI < 25	BMI 26-30	BMI > 30	P value
Anaesthetic time, min mean (SD)	41.10 (50.9)	52.62 (62.6)	67.55 (70.9)	0.080
Length of surgery, min mean (SD)	181.1 (65.4)	177.8 (56.6)	192.63 (61.5)	0.421
Intra-op blood loss, mL mean (SD)	33.18 (31.9)	44.00 (67.1)	38.33 (33.6)	0.309
Stoma	22 (20.8)	22 (22.5)	8 (16)	0.600
LOS, d, mean (SD)	4.1 (4.1)	3.9 (3.9)	5.8 (7.7)	0.076
All complications	23 (21.7)	15 (15.3)	14 (28)	0.686
Anastomotic leak	2 (1.9)	0 (0)	1 (2)	0.771
Re-admission	8 (7.5)	12 (12.2)	3 (6)	0.984
Wound infection	1 (0.9)	1 (1)	1 (2)	0.609
Abdominal collection	1 (0.9)	5 (5.1)	0 (0)	0.859
PR bleeding	0 (0)	0 (0)	2 (4)	0.021
DVT/PE	0 (0)	1 (1)	0 (0)	0.769
Obstruction/ileus	3 (2.8)	2 (2)	0 (0)	0.254
Vomiting/diarrhoea	3 (2.8)	1 (1)	0 (0)	0.156
Non-specfic abdo pain	0 (0)	2 (2)	0 (0)	0.677

Data are presented as absolute number (percentage) unless otherwise indicated. LOS: Length of stay; BMI: Body mass index.