Effect of bariatric surgery on obstructive sleep apnea: using the STOP-Bang score as a screening tool

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the most prevalent major sleep disorder in the world, has been associated with obesity. Besides reducing weight, bariatric surgery has been reported to improve OSA. Data on the effects of bariatric surgery on OSA are scarce in Egypt. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of bariatric surgery on OSA. This is a prospective study that was conducted on patients who were candidates for bariatric surgery at our institution who completed the STOP-Bang questionnaire before the surgery with a score greater than or equal to 4 and underwent re-evaluation 6 months after surgery. All patients underwent a standardized clinical assessment. The 6-month follow-up data were recorded and analyzed. The present study included 30 patients, with a mean baseline BMI of 54.32±9.77 kg/m2. The surgeries performed were Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) (n=21, 70%) and Laparoscopic Roux en Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) (n=9, 30%). The mean baseline STOP-Bang score was 5.3±1.09. At the 6-month follow-up, the mean 6-month postoperative STOP-Bang score was 1.13±1.04 (P<0.001). No statistically significant differences were noted in the BMI or the STOP-Bang score before and after surgery according to the surgery type (P>0.05). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between the 6-month BMI reduction and the Snoring, Tiredness, Observed apnea, Pressure, BMI, Age, Neck, Gender (STOP-Bang) score improvement (r=0.397, P=0.0298). This study demonstrated the bariatric surgery-initiated evident improvement and even complete resolution of OSA in patients with obesity, as measured by the STOP-Bang score.