Bariatric Surgery
Bariatric surgery may be an effective solution for severely obese apnea patients whose doctors consider them to be good candidates for this type of surgery.
However, you should continue you therapy with CPAP until you will see an improvement in your weight.
The surgical treatment of obesity should only be considered if you meet the following criteria:
- you have body mass index (BMI) greater than 40.
- you have BMI of 35 to 39 with life-threatening conditions such as hypertension, cardiopulmonary disorders, or diabetes mellitus.
- you have not been successful with a natural weight loss program for at least five years.
- your age is between 18 and 60 years old.
The most common surgical weight-loss options for the treatment of morbid obesity are:
- Gastric Bypass Surgery – The stomach is reduced in size by dividing the stomach in two parts.The small upper part of your stomach will receive the food from the esophagus and empties into intestines that has been brought up and attached to it.
- Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding – is performed by placing an inflatable band around the upper part of the stomach. When the band is inflated, your stomach turns to a small sack with a small drainage opening.
- Sleeve Gastrectomy – allows the patient to eat much less. It consists of a laparoscopic surgery in which with the help of an auto-suture machine, the stomach is sectioned leaving a thin gastric tube.