Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent Postoperative Respiratory Dysfunction for Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Undergoing Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery

Obesity is a major health problem that is associated with significant comorbidities including Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). OSA is a chronic condition characterized by partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Laparoscopic bariatric surgery is one of the fastest growing surgical procedures in the United States to promote weight loss in morbidly obese patients. The number of patients undergoing bariatric surgery that have OSA is estimated to be >70%. However, the majority of these patients are neither diagnosed nor appropriately screened for OSA. The purpose of this paper is to discuss evidenced-based strategies to identify patients with OSA and to reduce postoperative respiratory dysfunction in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery.