Purpose: This prospective study was conducted to clarify the association between the short-term outcome of laparoscopic colorectal surgery and visceral obesity (VO) based on waist circumference (WC).
Methods: WC and body mass index (BMI) were preoperatively measured in 98 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer undergoing laparoscopic surgery between June 2004 and February 2006. VO was defined as both BMI >or=25 kg/m2 and WC >or=85 cm in male patients, or WC >or=90 cm in female patients.
Results: The patients were divided into VO (n=21) and non-VO (n=77). Systemic complications were significantly more frequent in VO than in non-VO (19.0% vs. 3.9%, P=0.036), and VO was the only significant independent risk factor (odds ratio 8.1, P=0.018). BMI itself had no impact on outcome.
Conclusions: WC is a potentially useful index for the assessment of surgical risk in laparoscopic colorectal surgery.