Anesthetic Management of the Obese Surgical Patient

Book excerpt: The global obesity epidemic is growing in severity, affecting people of every age and costing healthcare providers millions of dollars every year. Every day, anesthesiologists are presented with obese and morbidly obese patients undergoing every type of surgical procedure; the management of these patients differs significantly from that of normal weight patients undergoing the same procedure. Anesthetic Management of the Obese Surgical Patient discusses these specific management issues within each surgical specialty area. Initial chapters describe pre-operative assessment and pharmacology; these are followed by detailed chapters on the anesthetic management of a wide variety of surgical procedures, from joint replacement to open heart surgery. Essential reading for anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists worldwide, Anesthetic Management of the Obese Surgical Patient and its companion work by the same authors, Morbid Obesity: Peri-operative Management, enable both trainees and practised professionals to manage this complex patient group effectively.