Why a sleep study?

I've only been to a seminar so far, first appointment is next week, but I can't for the life of me figure out why i need a darned sleep study? like if I have sleep apnea, the surgery will cure it, right? So why do they care?

They need to know in order to safely perform surgery and to care for you after.  A sleep study is nothing compared to the inconvenience of dying on the table.

Weight loss will not necessarily cure apnea. Plenty of thin people have it. Undiagnosed apnea can be very serious, and those with apnea can have difficulty after surgery.

My oxygen saturation kept dipping into the low 80s after surgery until one of the nurses came and put my mask on. My apnea has resolved, but my surgeon warned me it may not. I had a sleep study long before surgery because I snored like a bear.

FYI, my RNY did not resolve my sleep apnea.

Actually weight loss will cure sleep apnea in many cases.  You should appreciate that the health professionals want to help you.

Maybe I'm not being clear. I KNOW that sleep apnea can be dangerous. I am an RN. I just don't see why they need to investigate that prior to surgery for weight loss. It is NOT due to anesthesia. You don't get a sleep study every time you need surgery. Even non-urgent surgery. So for example- cancer is dangerous too, so are they going to send me for a CT scan to see if I have cancer? I just don't see how my sleep and my weight go together.

You asked. We told you what we know. Instead of stating you are an RN and you KNOW, thankyouverymuch, why not just ask your surgeon why he or she suggests a sleep study? 

Sometimes it is a requirement of the insurance, other times it is a requirement of the surgeon.  Some people have to do it and other don't.  I didn't, but my surgeon does require it if you are SMO and carry the majority of your weight in your stomach and chest area to have a sleep study done.

Some people stop breathing when they are sleeping due to the excessive weight on their chests hence the reason for a CPAP machine.  My brother is about 50lbs overweight and he was not sleeping very well.  He caulked it up to stress at work.  His doctor sent him for a sleep study and he found out he has sleep apnea and needed a machine.  The excess weight was causing him to stop breathing when he slept and his body would wake him up to breath.  That is why he wasn't getting a good nights sleep.  Since being on the machine he is sleeping 8 full hours and feels refreshed when he gets up in the morning.

An RN should know that obstructive sleep apnea is quite often caused by obesity. Obesity does not cause cancer. In this era of defensive medicine, maybe every obese patient should have a sleep study before surgery. I've never had a heart problem, but have had to have EKG's anyway. Sure an EKG is a lot easier and quicker to do than a sleep study. Certain ages and physical conditions require a complete pre-op work up according to all factors.

As others have said, not all OSA is resolved by WLS.

I lost a friend after foot surgery due to undiagnosed sleep apnea.  She wads 28 and not fat.  So you are correct that it is not just obese.  However as I am sure you know being fat increases your risk of sleep apnea so that is why they often check bariatric patients before surgery.