Skin graft failure is predicted by waist-hip ratio: A marker for metabolic syndrome

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Obesity is recognized as a risk factor for wound healing problems in surgery, but the reason for this increased risk is unclear. It is now recognized that truncal obesity, as measured by either the waist circumference or the waist-hip ratio (WHR), is a strong risk factor for an array of metabolic problems termed 'metabolic syndrome'. It was suggested that increased WHR would be a sensitive marker of obesity-related wound healing impairment and therefore would predict skin graft failure. METHOD: Consecutive patients undergoing full-thickness skin graft of the head and neck region in a private practice setting were enrolled prospectively. The body mass index and WHR were recorded a..