Question:
Do you have to have a tracheotomy with WLS if you have sleep apnea?
My friend mentioned to me this evening that she was concerned that you must have a tracheotomy if you have sleep apnea. Is this true? — Michelle H. (posted on March 11, 2002)
March 10, 2002
I had surgery almost 2 yrs ago . I also HAD apnea. I did not have any such
thing , infact this is the first I EVER heard of this. Did your friend have
this (either the surgery or the trach)? Maybe she could share her
experience with AMOS.
— Rose A.
March 10, 2002
No! Absolutely not true.
— Leah B.
March 10, 2002
Sounds like another urban legend in the making
— Frank M.
March 10, 2002
I'm with the others- I have never heard of this! I suffered with sleep
apnea for approx 6 yr before my WLS.
— Cindy K.
March 11, 2002
3 months post op.. No more sleep apnea and no trach for surgery.. I've
heard every surgeon is different, but that sounds extreme!
— Elizabeth D.
March 11, 2002
I have a serious case of Sleep Apnea, quit breathing over 100 times an
hour, as long as < 1 minute, and they didn't do a trach. on me. They did
keep me on oxygen while in the hospital, and I came through just fine. Good
luck!
Diana Mansfield
— Diana M.
March 11, 2002
Tracheostomies are performed only for people who can't breathe at all on
their own. There is one member who is going to have one today, but she has
been on a ventilator for quite a while and the tracheostomy is better in
the long run than the ventilator. Sleep apnea would not be a reason to
have one.
— garw
March 11, 2002
The only thing I had to do due to my apnea was bring my cpap
to the hospital and have it on when I slept. Gave it back to
the company 3 months post op:)
— M B.
March 11, 2002
No, you do not have to have a tracheotomy with WLS if you have sleep apnea,
but it may save your life if you do. My friend who had obstructive sleep
apnea did not get a tracheotomy before her surgery (no one suggested it to
her) went into respiratory arrest less than 12 hours after surgery. A
tracheotomy had to be done later, but unfortunately she still died from
repeated respiratory arrest and eventually 19 days after her surgery got a
blood clot in her lungs. Please carefully research your options as far as
getting the tracheotomy; it my save your life.
— Hackett
March 11, 2002
Hi! When I recently attended a required meeting for sleep apnea, the DR
told us at that time that in many neck/throat surgeries, the surgeons
require a trachectomy for obese patients, or they will refuse to do the
surgery. That really gave me the jitters! I have looked for this subject
quite a lot since that time on this website, and found no one that
mentioned they had to have it for WLS. Hope that is not the case!
— ScatCat
March 11, 2002
I had severe sleep apnea and I didn't require anything like that. With the
little thing on the finger (pulseox spelling?) they monitor you very
closely after surgery especially with sleep apnea. I didn't even use a
cpap after surgery. I hated my c pap so this is one wonderful thing about
WLS ....no more sleep apnea. I think my sleep apnea was gone after after
about 30 lbs were gone! I guess if there was an emergency a trach is
always a possibility but I don't know anyone who had to have one.
— Marilyn C.
March 11, 2002
Prior to my surgery, the anesthesiologist told me that very often super
obese people with severe sleep apnea will have a trach as an added
precaution. Luckily, this was not the case for me. This is not a question
to worry yourself about for weeks prior to surgery. If you fall into the
category I just mentioned, ask your surgeon. And remember any added
precautions like this are a good thing!
— Julie S.
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