Screening and treatment of pre-bariatric surgical patients with obesity related sleep disordered breathing.

Background: There is a significant burden of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in patients living with severe and complex obesity undergoing pre-bariatric surgery assessment. This longitudinal observational study evaluated the burden of obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) in this cohort of patients and the therapeutic compliance of patients commenced on positive airway pressure treatment.

Methods: All pre-bariatric surgery patients referred to the sleep clinic for review after an abnormal screening study between 2018 and 2022 were included. We collected data on their sleep study results, anthropometrics, co-morbid medical conditions, clinical observations, spirometry and arterial blood gas (ABG). Patients commenced on therapy were followed-up longitudinally and compliance data collected via remote monitoring.

Results: A total of 116 patients were included [age: mean ± standard deviation (SD) 48.8±10.8 years; body mass index (BMI) 49.2±8.5 kg/m; Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) 8.7±5.1 points]. Fifteen patients (12.9% of cohort) were diagnosed with hypercapnic respiratory failure (pH 7.40±0.02; pO 11.00±1.04 kPa; pCO 6.15±0.08 kPa). Compared to eucapnic obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients, they were older (51.1 48.5 years; P=0.311), had a higher BMI (51.5 48.9 kg/m; P=0.266), more likely to be female (66.7% 53.5%; P=0.275) and had a higher ESS score (10.4 8.5 points; P=0.177). On binomial regression analysis insulin dependent diabetes was the only patient characteristic of significance with prevalence increased in patients with OHS (26.7% 8.9%; P=0.042). Forced vital capacity (FVC) and oxygen saturation (SpO) cut-offs demonstrated high specificity (96.8%) but low sensitivity (13.3%) to diagnosed hypercapnia. Fifty percent of the patients with hypercapnia required bi-level ventilation. On follow-up 44.9% of patients were compliant with therapy (>4 hours usage/night).

Conclusions: In minimally symptomatic patients living with severe and complex obesity who have an abnormal overnight oximetry, over 1 in 10 demonstrated chronic respiratory failure. Clinic spirometry and daytime SpO excluded those with hypercapnia. Overall adherence to prescribed therapy is low. Screening, appropriate pre-operative optimisation and peri-operative planning are important in preventing complications in this patient cohort.