Aorta and Iliac Arterial Sizes in Pre-operative Morbidly Obese Patients: a preliminary report

• Published in: Obesity surgery Vol. 1; no. 2; p. 155
• Main Authors: Cowan, Jr, GS, Defibaugh, N, White, T, Hiler, ML, Somes, G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.06.1991
• ISSN: 1708-0428
• DOI: 10.1381/096089291765561178

Central blood flow and cardiac output are increased in most morbidly obese patients. This may be reflected in abnormal vessel sizes. Other influences such as smoking, age, weight, vertebral size, hypertension and age at onset of obesity may also be operative. Abnormal aorta and common iliac artery diameters were retrospectively measured on abnormal computer-assisted axial tomography scans of 44 morbidly obese, vascular disease-free females prior to their bariatric surgery. They were compared at standardized aortic and ileac levels with normal weight, similar age, control patients. There was no correlation between patient body weight, body mass index, percent excess body weight or age at onset of obesity versus any of the aortic or iliac diameters. Pearson's correlation analysis of smoking, age and hypertension each showed a significant positive relationship with aorto-iliac diameters (p < 0.05). Vertebral coronal body widths revealed a significant correlation with age (p < 0.05) but not with body weight, aortic or iliac diameters at any level. We conclude that the aortic and iliac arterial diameters of morbidly obese patients are significantly enlarged relative to normal weight controls. Smoking, age and hypertension also appear to have some degree of influence on aorto-iliac diameters in morbidly obese middle-aged women.