Impact of Body Mass Index >50 on Cardiac Structural and Functional Characteristics and Surgical Outcomes After Bariatric Surgery.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Body mass index (BMI) ≥50.0 kg/m2 has been associated with increased surgical complications and mortality. We assessed echocardiographic characteristics and bariatric surgery complications of patients with BMI ≥50.0 kg/m2 vs. those in less severe obesity. METHODS AND RESULTS: A retrospective analysis in patients who underwent gastric bypass was performed. Pre-surgery structural characteristics analyzed included left atrial dimension (LA), left ventricle mass (LVM), LVM indexed for height2.7 (LVMI), and LV hypertrophy (LVH). Functional characteristics included LV diastolic and systolic function. Degree of obesity was correlated with cardiac parameters, comorbidities, and surgical complications. Data on 312 patients (75.3 % women, age 39.3 ± 0.6 years, BMI 50.2 ± 0.5 kg/m2) were analyzed. Cardiac parameters on the basis of BMI (<50 kg/m2 vs. ≥50 kg/m2) were LA 39.6 ± 4.8 vs. 41.9 ± 5.2 mm, LVM 161 ± 46 vs. 194 ± 56 g, LVMI 43.6 ± 0.9 vs. 51.8 ± 1.3 g/ht2.7, and systolic pulmonary pressure 43.7 ± 10.1 vs. 50.5 ± 11.3 mmHg, respectively (all p < 0.001). LVMI was correlated with BMI (p < 0.001), 2-h glucose on a glucose tolerance test (p = 0.01), and ejection fraction (p = 0.01). Surgical complications were not different among groups. Presence of LVH was independently associated with BMI ≥50 kg/m2 and female sex, after adjusting for age, diabetes, hypertension, and pulmonary hypertension. CONCLUSION: Body mass index ≥50 kg/m2 was independently associated with female sex and LVH but not with hypertension, diabetes, or a higher rate of surgical complications.