Bariatric Surgery and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Study Summary

More often than not, obesity occurs in tandem with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), and each disease effectively perpetuates severity of the other. Surgical weight loss (i.e. bariatric surgery), and nocturnal, positive airway pressure therapy (PAP) are used to treat the two conditions separately, and these treatment modalities both present a unique set of challenges in terms of patient-adherence. Furthermore, the combined effects of these therapies on body weight and OSA severity are unclear, and require longitudinal investigation. The purpose of the research proposed herein is twofold: A) To prospectively demonstrate the specific physiologic/psychological improvements in OSA risk factors and disease severity that occur in a subset of bariatric surgery patients with OSA, who are being effectively treated with PAP and furthermore; B) To elucidate differences in postoperative outcomes (weight-loss, dyslipidemia, OSA severity, comorbidity resolution) between patients who are compliant or non-compliant with prescribed PAP therapy. The investigators anticipate that results will be used to develop and streamline approaches to improve pulmonary/sleep-related outcomes in bariatric surgery patients. Furthermore, this line of research has many implications for strategies to strengthen the coordination of care between bariatric surgery, pulmonology, and other clinical sub-specialties that are integral to the postoperative health of these patients.