of doing a sleep study test before surgery? I'm not sure I understand the correlation here...I've read plenty of testimonials and I talked my friend who's having the procedure done in May and he also said they have scheduled him for a sleep study.

Many people who are overweight have sleep apnea, which is what the sleep study is for. Sleep apnea causes your heart to stop or slow down when sleeping because it is so hard to breathe. People die from it! If you have it, it should be considered a co-morbidity, which helps insurance to pay. Plus, they need to know before surgery if you have it.

Tinkerbell: If I am not mistaken it is to either prove or disprove you have sleep apnea (when you fall asleep somewhere in the course of your sleep you stop breathing). This is a co-mordibity for obesity. If it is severe they usually prescribe a machine for you to wear that you attach a mask over your nose at night which pumps O2 for you to breath. This will trigger you to keep breathing. I am pretty sure that is how it works. I have never had to deal with one before even with my nursing practice no patient ever had one. SO guys that deal with it did I get it right? LOL!! See not all nurse are smarty pants. LOL!! I ask when I don't know.

They can also tell how you might react to the surgery by doing this study.

I was formerly a respiratory therapist so I can explain a little. Obesity (and it doesn't have to be morbid obesity) is a risk factor for sleep apnea. The extra fat in the throat causes compression when all the muscles are relaxed during sleep and the air passage is obstructed. You are trying to breathe, but are not getting any air. Your oxygen levels fall. In some cases this happens hundreds of times a night and the person is unaware of it. But the low oxygen over time causes right heart damage which can lead to right heart failure. People with this condition have a higher surgical risk. Not to mention, it needs to be diagnosed so that it can be treated, preferably before heart damage occurs. The most common symptoms of sleep apnea are snoring, daytime sleepiness, and morning headaches.

Nancy

Penni your very close.

I had severe sleep apnea and after it was found I was on what is called a c-pap. This machine just blows room air into your throat so you don't have any sleep stopage. There is another machine and I think its a p-pap and this one only activates when you stop breathing. When I was tested I was found to have stopped 477 times in the 8 hour test. So my c-pap was set at 15. 18 is max setting for humans. After my surgery and weight loss I was retested a few months ago and the c-pap has be re-calibrated to 6. Dr feels I'll be off totally by end of year.

Its my understanding if your Dr tubes you during surgery the sleep study isn't needed cause they control your breathing for you. Its if they don't tube they need to test you. I may be wrong on this but its what I have been told.

If I hadn't been tested and the sleep apnea found when it was the Dr told me I would not have survived another three months. So if your overweighht and Dr wants you to have the study do it folks. It dosn't hurt amd it may save your life from a problem you may not know you have.

Yes, Penni, my dad, sister and brother all have the CPCP machines to wear at night. They were waking themseves up, not knowing it, 50 and 60 times per 2 hours of sleep without the machines. The danger is 1)severe lack of productive sleep-bad for the body and mind and 2)potential heart stopping during sleep due to not breathing well. Someone else may hav more detailed info but that's the gist of it. And the machine pumps pressurized air, they don't have O2 bottles attached or anything.

And yes, this is important info for an anesthesiologist to have before surgery.

The good news is...many people are able to give up the CPAP machines as they lose weight!

Good luck Tinkerbell! It's a worthwhile study to have, kind of a pain but worthwhile.

If it is severe they usually prescribe a machine for you to wear that you attach a mask over your nose at night which pumps O2 for you to breath. This will trigger you to keep breathing. I am pretty sure that is how it works. I have never had to deal with one before even with my nursing practice no patient ever had one. SO guys that deal with it did I get it right? LOL!! See not all nurse are smarty pants. LOL!! I ask when I don't know.

Yeah that is pretty much how it works. There are actually two different types of machines; one is a cpap and the other a bipap. The cpap provides a constant flow of air to keep your airway open and the bipap provides airflow in but stops to allow you to exhale and then immediately pushes the air back in once you inhale again. I use the bipap machine. I recommend anyone who has been told they snore to have a sleep study done. Whether you are considering lap band or not. I got it done 2 years before I even thought of having lap band. I sleep 100% better and during the day I use to get tired and want to take a nap but now I am energized all day. The worst was driving home from work and actually nodding off behind the wheel. But I haven't had that problem since I started using the bipap machine at night. I just went to Denver</FONT></ST1:p for a week and didn't bring my machine with me and I couldn't sleep the first night so I had my wife Fed Ex it to me. It takes a few nights to get use to but it's the best thing you can do if you want a good nights rest.

I've recently started snoring...and I've also recently started doing something else...but I'm not sure if it's sleep apnea or not. I guess if I decide to go through with this they'll make me have a sleep study and I'll find out. I will fall asleep but then it's like something is clogging up my throat or it kinda feels like my tongue is blocking the airway or something..it's weird...but it's new. Maybe I do have sleep apnea....??

Definately get the sleep study done, I have heard it's like choking, when you can't breathe and sometimes it wakes you up. You don't feel rested in the morning, and like Nancy said, years of it is harmful to the heart...good explanation. Good luck!

I have sleep apnia, and I use a C-pap machine. oh! so have the sleep study! Do it!!! It has radically changed my daily life. I've probably had the apnia for several years but only had my first sleep study this summer.

I now wake up with energey, and only drink about one cup of coffee instead of the cups and cups I used to need before I could even think. I would have a terrible headache all day because my oxygen levels drop so low when I sleep. They discovered that I wake up over 180 times a night when I'm not using the C-pap machine. You know it's bad when the techs and Dr are impressed!

My system uses room air, but I have an adapter when I need to use O2. The last couple of times I was in hosptial they were able to give me my breathing treatments through my machine, which really helped.

You will not be sorry you had the study done!