Researchers examined 670 patients undergoing total knee or hip replacement. Twelve percent of the patients were malnourished, while nearly 19 percent were morbidly obese.
According to the study, of the total number of patients, 10 percent experienced a complication. When compared to patients with normal nutritional status, malnourished patients were nearly 20 percent more likely to have a postoperative complication; 13 percent more likely to be readmitted within 90 days of discharge; 12 percent more likely to have an ICU admission following surgery; and 5 percent more likely to require a return to the operating room.
On the other hand, morbidly obese patients had no statistically significant difference in complication rates when compared to non-morbidly-obese patients.
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