Question:
I need an opinion about my doctor

I was called by the Doctors Nurse today and was told I need to see the sleep disorder doctor before we can go any farther. has anyone else had this problem before they went to surgery. And if so what can I expect to learn by seeing the apnea doc.    — D P. (posted on July 3, 2003)

July 2, 2003
GOOD! This shows your surgeon is carying for you, and concerned for your safety! Undiagnosed sleep apnea kills people. Right after surgery folks have died from it. I myself nearly died after minor knee surgery, I quit breathing in recovery. It was a terrible experiemce.<P> But if they KNOW its a problem its very mangeable. After my WLS I had no problems at all. <P> You will likely spend a sleepless night or two hooked by a bunch of wires to a machine that will record your breathing. Its inconvenient but not painful at all. Just a big hassle. You might need a c pap machine depending on the results. But this is good you are on your way to WLS. CONGRATS!
   — bob-haller

July 2, 2003
Danny, I'm SO glad your surgeon cares enough about you to send you for a sleep study in case you have sleep apnea. Weight loss surgery with untreated sleep apnea can be deadly! My best friend, Ginger Brewster, who's story is on the memorial page of this website, died because of complications she had from having the surgery with undiagnosed/untreated sleep apnea. Please read her story to see what CAN happen when someone has the surgery and no precautions are taken for the person having sleep apnea. Please be safe! Best of luck to you for your surgery.
   — Hackett

July 2, 2003
DO IT!!! Your doctor is only thinking of you! I died after spinal surgery and if it wasn't for a very keen nurse I would not be here today. Then after having another spinal surgery the same thing happened again and thanks to a pulmanologist who saw me in the hospital, I now know I have severe sleep apnea. C-Pap setting of 14 with 2% Oxygen. Rachelle
   — smmeow

July 2, 2003
Your doctor SHOULD require a sleep study. Many MO people have sleep apnea. If you do have it, they need to know. Undiagnosed sleep apnea could make your surgery much more dangerous. What you will learn from the sleep doc is whether you stop breathing at night for periods of time. This decreases the oxygen level in your blood, raises blood pressure, is hard on your heart, and can cause a whole list of other problems.
   — mom2jtx3

July 4, 2003
It is a VERY GOOD thing that your doc is having you do the sleep study, it confirms (possibly) a co-morbidity, which most insurances need, and even if you think everything is ok, if you have sleep apnea, you will find that once you get used to the machine, you will love it, your sleep quality will be better and better. You will wonder how you slept without it for any length of time. My doc had me do the test to conform at least one co-morbidity and to aid in knowing my entire medical needs so that when I have my surgery (hopefully in less than six weeks from now) they can go into it with one less surprise... GiGi
   — ghallcurtis