Anesthetic considerations for the obese and morbidly obese oral and maxillofacial surgery patient.

The purpose of this article is to review the problems of anesthetic management of the obese patient and review current literature on this topic. Obesity is associated with a wide spectrum of medical problems. Anesthetic management requires being familiar with the pathophysiologic changes associated with obesity as well as the specific management issues that can arise. We will review recommendations from the literature on anesthesia management as they apply to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon.