Question:
I had no sleep studies, but believe I have sleep apnea, can this cause risk durning

or after surgery?    — Lynn S. (posted on March 17, 2002)

March 17, 2002
It won't cause any problem during surgery. You will have a tube down your throat (not the NG tube) to help you breathe. That tube will be put in after you're asleep and taken out before they wake you up. The anesthesiologist is in charge of keeping you breathing, watching your vital signs and making sure you stay asleep. Post op, it's hard to tell. It would really depend on how serious it is. I do plan to take my CPAP to the hospital unless the surgeon doesn't want me to and I know I will continue to use it until I have lost some weight. Then I'll probably go back to the pulmonologist and get his opinion.
   — garw

March 17, 2002
I THOUGHT THAT I HAD SLEEP APNEA BEFORE SURGERY I HAD ALL THE SYMPTOMS, ALL OF THEM........UKKK!!! I DID NOT HAVE A SLEEP STUDY AND WENT AHEAD AND HAD SURGERY.....I HAD SUCH A HARD TIME COMING OUT OF THE ANESTESIA AND WAS IN THE RECOVERY ROOM SOO LONG THAT MY FAMILY STARTED TO TO GET WORRIED. WHILE I WAS IN THE RECOVERY ROOM I COULD HEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON BUT COULD NOT WAKE UP I COULD HEAR THE DR AND NURSES TALKING ABOUT MY SNORING (AND I KNOW I USE TO SNORE SO LOUD) NEXT THING I KNOW "MY GOODNESS!!!" THE WORST PAIN EVER THEY WERE SOVING A TUBE DOWN MY NOSE I REMEMBER REACHING FOR IT AND WANTING TO PULL IT OUT WHILE THE NURSE WAS SHOVING IT IN BUT I THOUGHT I BETTER LEAVE IT CAUSE THEY WILL JUST DO IT AGAIN......TALK WITH YOUR DR AND LET HIM KNOW ABOUT IT I DOUBT VERY MUCH IT WILL STOP YOUR SUGERY..........GOOD LUCK P.S: I WOULD HAVE THE SURGERY ALL OVER AGAIN EVEN WITH THE PAIN I AM ALMOST 1 MONTH OUT AND FEEL GREAT....AND IF YOU LIKE TO KNOW I DON'T HAVE SLEEP APNEA ANYMORE.....I SLEEP SO GOOD NOW...:)
   — LUVY L.

March 21, 2002
If you think you have sleep apnea, please get tested and treated before surgery. I believe my friend would be alive today if she had done this. A very dear friend of mine had sleep apnea and was not tested prior to WLS. She had breathing problems from the start of her surgery to her death 19 days after surgery. If only I could have her back I would insist that she go to a sleep clinic to be tested prior to her surgery.
   — Hackett