For their study, researchers compared 30-day surgical site infection rates among obese and nonobese patients and measured the cost of those surgeries. Results showed obesity increase the risk of a surgical site infection by 60 percent. Comparatively, obese patients faced a 14.5 percent risk, representing a 5 percent higher risk than their nonobese counterparts. The mean total cost of the operations was $31,993 for patients with infection, compared to $14,609 for patients without infection.
Read the study about surgical site infection in obese patients.
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