Do Obese Patients Lose Weight After Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Authors

• Phillip Vorster, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Abhijith V. Matur, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Paolo Palmisciano, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Fatu S. Conteh, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Louisa Onyewadume, Harvard University
• Henry Ofori Duah, Marquette UniversityFollow
• Geet Shukla, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Sai S. Chilakapati, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School
• Xu Tao, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Sahil Gupta, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Sanjit Shah, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Benjamin Motley, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Joseph Cheng, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Justin Virojanapa, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Owoicho Adogwa, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2023

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

World Neurosurgery

Source ISSN

1878-8750

Abstract

Objective

Obesity is a major health care concern in the United States and is associated with high rates of postoperative complications after spine surgery. Obese patients assert that weight reduction is not possible unless spine surgery first relieves their pain and concomitant immobility. We describe the post-spine surgery effects on patient weight, with an emphasis on obesity.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched according to the PRISMA guidelines. The search included indexed terms and text words from database inception to the date of the search (15 April 2022). Studies chosen for inclusion had to have data reporting on pre- and postoperative patient weight after spine surgery. Data and estimates were pooled using the Mantel-Haenszel method for random-effects meta-analysis.

Results

Eight articles encompassing 7 retrospective and 1 prospective cohort were identified. A random effects model analysis demonstrated that overweight and obese patients (body mass index [BMI], >25 kg/m²) had increased odds of clinically significant weight loss after lumbar spine surgery compared with non-obese patients (odds ratio, 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.43–1.86, P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the raw weight change between BMI categories (mean difference, −0.67 kg, 95% confidence interval, −4.71 to 3.37 kg, P = 0.7463).

Conclusions

Compared with non-obese patients (BMI, < 25 kg/m²), overweight and obese patients have higher odds of clinically significant weight loss after lumbar spine surgery. No difference in pre-operative and post-operative weight was found, although statistical power was lacking in this analysis. Randomized controlled trials and additional prospective cohorts are needed to further validate these findings.

Comments

Accepted version. World Neurosurgery, Vol. 175 (July 2023): 122-129. DOI. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. Used with permission.

Henry Duah was affiliated with the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing at the time of publication.

Recommended Citation

Vorster, Phillip; Matur, Abhijith V.; Palmisciano, Paolo; Conteh, Fatu S.; Onyewadume, Louisa; Duah, Henry Ofori; Shukla, Geet; Chilakapati, Sai S.; Tao, Xu; Gupta, Sahil; Shah, Sanjit; Motley, Benjamin; Cheng, Joseph; Virojanapa, Justin; and Adogwa, Owoicho, "Do Obese Patients Lose Weight After Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" (2023). College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications. 1146.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/nursing_fac/1146