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O R E X C E L L E N C E. C O M S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J U N E 2 0 1 4
W
hat does anesthesiologist
Ashish C. Sinha, MD, PhD,
know about caring for over-
weight individuals? He's
anesthetized a patient who
weighed more than 800 pounds and another with a
body-mass index of 110. In his presentation "How
Heavy Is Too Heavy?" the associate professor in the
department of anesthesiology and perioperative
medicine at the Drexel University College of
Medicine in Philadelphia will talk about how to man-
age the increasing number of overweight patients
you're likely to see in your ORs. The dynamic speak-
er sat down with us recently to discuss the expertise
he'll share at OR Excellence.
• A growing concern. Patients who present for
clinical care, and especially to the OR, over the last
decade have gotten older, sicker and especially heav-
ier. Two-thirds of the nation's population is over-
weight or obese, which is reflected in the patient
traffic you see coming through ORs. In fact, you
might see more heavy patients because normal-
weight individuals are getting sick less and requiring
less surgery. Obese patients bring unique challenges
for caregivers, including ensuring the appropriate
furniture and equipment is in place, from large seats
K I C K E R
How H e avy I s Too He a vy?
Don't push the safety envelope when caring for obese patients.
Ashish C. Sinha, MD, PhD
where leaders meet, learn and grow together
Speaker Profile
• Board-certified
anesthesiologist
practicing at
Hahnemann
University
Hospital in
Philadelphia, Pa.
• Ser ved as an
editor for
"Anesthesia in
the Obese
Patient."
• President,
International
Society for the
Perioperative
Care of the
Obese Patient,
2011-13.
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