The influence of obesity on short- and long-term outcomes after laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer: A case-matched study of 152 patients

Background. Despite the increasing prevalence of obesity and colonic diseases, the impact of obesity on short-term and oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic colorectal surgery still remains unclear. Study design. Seventy-six consecutive obese patients with body mass index (BMI) >= 30 kg/m(2) who underwent laparoscopic colectomy were matched with 76 nonobese patients with BMI <30 kg/m(2). Perioperative parameters and oncologic outcomes were analyzed in the two groups. Results. Obesity was associated with greater operative time (obese vs nonobese, 182 +/- 59 vs 157 +/- 55 min, P = .0084) and multivariate analysis identified BMI (hazard ratio 2.11, 95% confidence interval 0.64-3.56, P = .0049) as an independent predicting factor for operative time together with cancer location (hazard ratio 28.6, 95% confidence interval 14.62-42.51, P < .0001). Obesity had no adverse influence on overall morbidity (25 vs 21%, P = .563), however, or postoperative duration of stay (median 6.0 vs 5.5 days, P = .22). Furthermore, the rate of conversion to open procedure was similar between the two groups (9 vs 9%, P > .99). Regarding oncologic outcomes, there was no statistical difference in overall and disease-free survival between the two groups (5-year overall survival rate 86 vs 89%, P = .72, 5-year disease survival rate 70 vs 77%, P = .70). Conclusion. Laparoscopic colonic resection, when performed for selected patients, appears to be a safe and reasonable option in obese patients with colon cancer resulting in similar short-term and oncologic outcomes as nonobese patients.