Higher BMI Raises Postoperative Mortality in Pancreatic Surgery

Overweight and obese patients face significantly higher postoperative mortality rates after pancreatic resection, spotlighting the need for careful patient selection.

• Overweight patients have a 52% increased risk of mortality (OR 1.52).
• Obese patients experience a 66% increased risk (OR 1.66).

Surgeons should prioritize referring overweight and obese patients to high-volume hospitals, where surgery outcomes are more comparable to non-overweight individuals.

• The findings are consistent across multiple studies, reinforcing the importance of surgical setting in managing these high-risk patients.