Associated Risks of Obesity and/or Metabolic Syndrome with Intra-operative or Post-Operative Occurrences in Patients with Open Ventral Hernia Repair

Metabolic syndrome and obesity are increasing in incidence worldwide and they carry with them a lot of health issues that might directly affect individuals or might be associated with higher risk of surgical complications represented in this study by open ventral hernia repair. A cohort study of 132 patients admitted electively for open ventral hernia repair to the surgical wards at Al-Sader teaching hospital in Najaf /Iraq from December 1st/ 2015 to October 1st/ 2016. All patients were followed for intra-operative occurrences and followed for 2 weeks postoperatively for any early post-operative complications. Of the total 132 patients, there were 44 patients (33.3%) having metabolic syndrome and there were 68 obese patients (66.6%) of which 37 having metabolic syndrome (54.4%). There was no significant association between intra-operative occurrences or early post-operative complications in obese patients with or without metabolic syndrome but there was a significant association between intra-operative occurrences and metabolic syndrome in patients having body mass index (BMI) below 30 Kg/m2. Diabetes was the only significant factor for early postoperative wound complications whether the patient had metabolic syndrome or not.