Sleep study questions?

[Mollypop]

Hello all
Im new to this site and wanted to ask my first question. I had my first app at Walsall Manor on 22nd June for a Bypass and they have said it will be around 6 months until surgery. (I have been through teir 3 since May 15). My next app I believe is the group session. During the app on 22nd they asked me about my sleep patterns.
I received a call from my GP yesterday asking me to go see him on Monday to discuss the sleep study - I do have a little knowledge - only from other posts on here but only minimal really.
Does anybody have experience of this? I would like to know a little more about the process, waiting times for the study, and any impact it may have on the surgey, also whether it may put a delay on surgery times. Thanks in advance

 

[Mini]

Here is a link below to the threads on the subject here...hope it helps until someone else comes along who has experience.

https://www.wlsurgery.com/search/53995/?q=Sleep+study&o=relevance&c[node]=257

 

[SUNSHINE]

Hi Jo and welcome. Sorry I don't know anything about sleep study but I'm sure someone will be able to help you. Good luck

 

[FeeBee]

No idea about sleep studies but hello and welcome

 

[Mollypop]

Thanks for the responses guys..and Mini..really helpful

 

[potter]

Hi Jo
I had a sleep study done before my bypass. My op was done in Stoke-on-Trent and the process might be different across the country but this might give you an idea ...

I'm assuming this might have been suggested because your sleep patterns indicated they want to check for sleep apnoea. In some areas everyone having bariatric surgery has a sleep study but in others it's only given to certain people. I waited about 2 months from referral to the sleep clinic to the actual study. I was given some equipment to take home that monitored my sleep overnight to check if I had sleep apnoea. I then waited another 2 months for an appointment to get the result, then another 3 months after that to get a CPAP machine (as it was found that I have quite severe apnoea). My surgeon also said that I had to be successfully using the machine for at least 6 weeks before he would operate. So all in all it took about 8-9 months from referral to the sleep clinic to being established on the machine so the op could go ahead. Most of this was happening alongside other pre-op appointments with the dietitian etc so I'd say in my case it probably added an extra couple of months on to the wait. All areas might differ though and waiting times might be shorter for you. And of course if you do the sleep study and it finds you don't have apnoea then it will probably be quite quick.

It was stressed to me that this is an important step in the process. Apnoea causes you to stop breathing while asleep, the automatic reflexes then kick in so - apart from tiredness due to poor quality sleep - there's no risk of real harm. But it was explained to me that after anaesthetic these reflexes might be dulled so if you have apnoea it can become dangerous and the CPAP machine is needed to make sure there's no risk of stopping breathing. Ironically, after everything I went through and getting used to the CPAP machine, when I had my op they lost it in the theatre so I had a couple of nights without it anyway! I survived to tell the tale and am still here 10 months later and 10 stone lighter.

Hope this helps but let me know if you've got any questions about the process. Oh and I have to say I've grown to love my CPAP machine, it's like going to sleep to wave music every night and I feel much less tired every day.

Potter x

 

[Mollypop]

Hi Potter,
Thanks for the info, that’s really helpful. Stoke on Trent is actually my local hospital but my GP advised that Walsall had quicker waiting times for the surgery so advised me to go there.
So do you have to use the CPAP machine for the foreseeable future then? And may I ask where the sleep clinic was, just wondering if I can access that more locally rather than going to Walsall?
Massive well done on your weight loss too

Jo x

 

[potter]

Hi Jo
That's interesting that your GP advised you to go to Walsall. I waited just under a year from referral to surgery at the North Staffs so even with it taking a bit longer due to the sleep study I thought it was reasonable compared to the waits that some others on here have had.
I do have to use the CPAP machine for the foreseeable future though I now just have six-monthly review appointments. The machine has a data card which they can check to see if I'm still having apnoeas and if I still need it - some people say that sleep apnoea gets better as the weight comes off, but the consultant in the sleep clinic said this isn't always the case so they just need to keep monitoring. The sleep clinic is at the North Staffs hospital (in Newcastle under Lyme) so the same place I had my surgery. I was happy with the care and treatment there, the only problem was the service seems to be quite in demand so it seemed like there were quite long waits between the various steps in the process. Good luck, and if it turns out you have apnoea when you have the study please try not to worry too much. In the beginning I thought I'd never get used to the machine but now I can't imagine being without it and I actually find it quite soothing!
Let us know how you get on
Potter x

 

[Mollypop]

Hi Potter,
This morning my GP has referred me to North Staffs too. My initial app is on 21st July. Can you remember how long it took between first app and the actually sleep study? My GP said it will be a stop over rather than taking the equipment home for testing.
Jo x

 

[potter]

Hi Jo
I think it was about six weeks between the first appointment and the study. For the study it was just a case of waiting for the equipment to become free as they only have a limited number of machines. I didn't really need to see anyone for an appointment when I did it, just picked the machine up from reception late one afternoon then returned it early the next morning so they could check the results. The wait might be different for you if you're staying in. There's a couple of rooms set up as bedrooms in the sleep clinic but I didn't know they did stop overs so it will be interesting to find out how you get on.
Potter x