Obesity is known to be a serious chronic illness. Today it has become a safety hazard for people with heart issues. Obesity refers to the excessive level of weight gain which significantly impacts a person’s BMI (Body Mass Index). Now here the question is whether excessive obesity is a potential risk factor for cardiac surgery or not. Well, this question needs a relevant discussion to reach the ultimate conclusion. To reach the one-word answer now we have to discuss some significant correlations between excessive obesity and Cardiac surgery. So let’s start the discussion.
Obesity And Cholesterol- Obesity has a positive correlation with a higher level of cholesterol. According to the research evidence, it could be stated that people with extreme obesity are more likely to develop a high level of cholesterol. And high cholesterol could be a potential risk factor in performing cardiac surgery. Sometimes the layer of cholesterol nearby the heart becomes a barrier to normal blood flow in the heart and causes mitral stenosis. And as a result, the patient develops more complications during the surgery. That is why one has to visit a heart clinic on a regular basis before the date of surgery. There are medications that could be prescribed by doctors. Such medications have the power to keep the cholesterol level normal and this helps the doctors to perform the surgery without any risk.
Obesity And BMI (Body Mass Index) – The patient’s BMI rate should be normal during the surgery. BMI above 30.0 is highly dangerous and causes excessive complications during the operation. That is why heart specialists prescribe some medications that an obese patient has to take at least 1 month before their surgery. This improves their BMI and can reduce other significant safety hazards.
Obesity And Mitral Stenosis- A person with extreme obesity often develops a serious heart issue called mitral stenosis. This causes damage to the patient’s heart valve and this is why the valve doesn’t function properly. The excessive fat stored in the valve also hampers the blood pumping functions. And that is why doctors conduct so many tests to check the condition of a patient’s Mitral valve before operating. But don’t worry this problem could be fixed with the right medical care.
Obesity And Hospital Mortality- Though there are some chances of complications that do not cause death. There is no report of death in heart surgery of an extremely obese patient. Just make sure you have the right doctors with you to guide you throughout the surgery. Also, pre and post-surgery care are extremely important.
Thus to conclude, Yes cardiac surgery could be performed safely in a patient with extreme obesity. You have got the backup of advanced medicines, the right facility of care and highly dedicated surgeons.
