What are some of the testing done for this? I have no history of any pulmonary issues, no smoking, no history of sleep apnea, etc--will I *have* to have a sleep study? I've heard of many physicians requiring a sleep study for a bmi over 45, mine is 39.1 . I am self-pay so no insurance requirements--has anyone been cleared pulmonary-wise without a bunch of unnecessary testing? TIA!

I had to have pulmonology clearance because my insurance required it. I didn't have to have a sleep study done, though. The spirometer I had to blow into during the clearance aggravated my asthma for a few days afterward, but all in all, it wasn't a big deal at all.

thank you! I was kinda hoping i wouldn't even need a pulm. clearance but at least I know there's a chance I won't have to have a sleep study!

I am self pay, BMI of 35, and in relatively good health (no diabetes, high BP, etc) and my doctor, who is one of the leading bariatric surgeons, has not required any testing at all. It may have more to do with the confidence and experience of the surgeon than anything else, y'know? Covering their a** and all that.

I am self pay, BMI of 35, and in relatively good health (no diabetes, high BP, etc) and my doctor, who is one of the leading bariatric surgeons, has not required any testing at all. It may have more to do with the confidence and experience of the surgeon than anything else, y'know? Covering their a** and all that.

It just kind-of annoys me, kwim? I posted about this after getting back from my first seminar. as a self-pay patient I don't have to have a nutritional eval, cardiology eval. OR a psych eval, but I do have to have a Pulmonary eval. to me, that is senseless, I would have thought out of ANY of that a cardiology appt. would have been more necessary. I don't have any pulmonary history and I doubt almost 99.99999% that I have sleep apnea. I had a laproscopic repair of a hernia done 2 years ago and the ONLY thing I had to have done was an H/H--so when i talked to his nurse yesterday I asked her WHY I needed a Pulm. consult for clearance when I didn't have it done with my hernia repair--she said "Oh, this is different, they need to see if you have sleep apnea, if the doctor doesn't think you do, he'll just send over the letter saying you're cleared..." :guess okkkk.....I don't know, whatever--I have my pulmonary appt. on Monday so I'll get that out of the way, then my surgeon appt. on the 20th, then I'll have to schedule my bariatric class appt. right before the surgery. I can't imagine having to do more than that for insurance requirements! wow!