Sleep apnea syndrome is significantly underdiagnosed in bariatric surgical patients

Overall, SAS that required treatment with an oral appliance was prevalent (40%) in patients who presented for bariatric surgery. However, many of these patients with significant SAS (38%) were previously undiagnosed, despite exhibiting clear symptoms of the disease. Symptom screening appears to be effective in identifying patients who should be evaluated by polysomnography. To avoid the potential perils of undiagnosed SAS during the perioperative period, patients who undergo bariatric surgery should be screened, tested, and treated for this co-morbidity.