Very obese men are at a greater risk for severe life-threatening complications from obesity surgery than smaller and/or female patients, according to researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Researchers conducted a study to determine the preoperative risk factors that affect the outcomes of gastric bypass surgery.

Data for ten risk factors that predict adverse outcomes were collected on 1,067 patients who had gastric bypass surgery at UCLA from December 1993 to June 2000.

Male gender and weight were predictive of severe life-threatening adverse outcomes, according to report in the Annals of Surgery. Male patients were heavier than female patients upon entry into the study, accounting for weight as a potential risk factor.

Patients over age 55 had a threefold higher rate of death from surgery than younger patients, although the rate of complications was the same in both the younger and older group.

The risk for severe life-threatening adverse outcomes in women increased from 4 percent for a 200-pound female patient to 7.5 percent for a 600-pound patient. The risk increased from 7 percent for a 200-pound male patient to 13 percent for a 600-pound patient.

Risk factors thought to be predictors of adverse results from surgery such as smoking or diabetes did not prove to be significant in this study.

Other sources: Annals of Surgery