Bariatric Surgery and Obstructive Sleep Apnea

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.