Abstract
Objective: Obesity is a significant risk factor for OSA. The benefits of bariatric surgery (BS) are increasingly reported, but concern about the safety is also heightened. With the aim to prevent OSA related complications of BS, we were interested to see which percentage of patients undergoing BS in our clinic have OSA.
Method: The prospective, multidisciplinary, single-center, observational study enrolled 289 consecutive patients eligible for BS from June 2009 until June 2010. Irrespective of history or clinical findings, all patients on the waiting list for BS visited our ENT out-patient clinic and underwent a full night polysomnography, unless performed previously.
Results: A total of 69.9% fulfilled the criteria for OSA (mean BMI: 44.2 ± SD 6.4). A total of 40.4% of the patients met the criteria for severe OSA. A mere 13.3% of the patients were aware with OSA before being placed on the waiting list for BS. Increased neck circumference, BMI, or ESS were found to be insufficient predictors of OSA presence on linear stepwise regression and ROC curve.
Conclusion: In this large patient series, 69.9% of patients undergoing BS meet the criteria for OSA. Increased neck circumference, BMI, or ESS are insufficient predictors of OSA presence. Polysomnography is an essential component of the preoperative workup of patients undergoing BS. When OSA is found, specific perioperative measures are indicated.