Statement of the Problem: Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 51 million Americans. Another 69 million Americans are considered to be overweight including at least one in five children. Morbid obesity has been associated with increased pulmonary atelectasis after general anesthesia. Obesity is considered a risk factor for increased complications in cardiothoracic, orthopedic, reconstructive, and transplant surgery. Overweight and obesity as risk factors for complications associated with dentoalveolar surgery have not been extensively studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency and the nature of postoperative complications in obese patients receiving ambulatory dentoalveolar surgery. Materials and Methods: Patients presenting for outpatient dentoalveolar surgery over a six month period were included in the study if their weight and a final disposition were recorded in the chart. Weight groups by procedure comparisons were made for all patients. Eight surgical procedure categories were established based on the number of teeth removed, impacted teeth and other adjunctive surgical procedures. Unfavorable outcomes studied were postoperative visits, infections, nerve injury, alveolar osteitis, bone sequestrum, revision alveoplasty, facial fracture follow-up, redundant tissue requiring excision, ulcerations associated with immediate dentures, wound dehiscence, excessive bleeding, and maxillary sinus exposure. Because height was not routinely recorded, body mass index could not be determined. Thus patients were assigned to one of five weight groups: less than 150 lb; 150 to less than 200 lb; 200 to less than 250 lb; 250 to less than 300 lb; and greater than 300 lb. Method of Data Analysis: Data were analyzed by chi square tests and analysis of variance. Results: Fifteen hundred fifty-six charts were reviewed and 693 patients were included in the study. Fifty-seven percent of the patients were females and 47% were males. Seventy-four patients had complications or multiple postoperative visits that occurred equally in all weight groups. There were no procedure differences between patients less than or equal to 200 lb and patients greater than 200 lb. The five weight groups showed no significant differences in rate of postoperative complications or need for multiple postoperative visits. Postoperative infections (21), pain (19), and nerve injury (13) were the most frequently recorded complications. Seventy-eight percent (15) of the infections occurred in females, as did 92% (12) of the nerve injuries and 68% (13) of the postoperative visits for pain. There were no significant differences in the complication frequency between the genders. Conclusion: Excess weight and obesity do not appear to be risk factors for postoperative complications following dentoalveolar surgery. References Eichenberger AS, Proietti S, Wicky S, et al: Morbid obesity and postoperative pulmonary atelectasis: An underestimated problem. Anesth Analg 95:1788, 2002 Berg EE: Knee joint arthroscopy in the morbidly obese. Arthroscopy 15:321, 1999