JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Bariatric surgery offers quick weight reduction for patients with morbid obesity. Those who plan for bariatric surgery require perioperative preparation, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) evaluation, and treatment using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine is recommended. There is limited data on how patients have prepared for bariatric surgery or for those who decided to use a CPAP prior to surgery.

Objective:

This study employed a qualitative method to evaluate how obese patients with OSA who were scheduled for bariatric surgery received information regarding bariatric surgery, including their decision to purchase a CPAP prior to bariatric surgery.

Methods:

This qualitative study enrolled adult patients who planned to undergo bariatric surgery, diagnosed with OSA, and were treated with CPAP therapy at least one month prior to surgery. An in-depth interview was conducted with eligible patients, addressing their perspectives on obesity, strategies for weight loss, and reasons for purchasing or renting CPAP equipment prior to bariatric surgery. The interview was conducted using content analysis and triangulation focused on a variety of data informants, theoretical sampling, and achieving data saturation. Themes were summarized and reported.

Results:

There were 14 patients with obesity and OSA who planned for bariatric surgery. The average age of all patients was 27.21 years (SD 4.98) with male proportion of 28.57% and single marital status of 78.57%. The average body mass index was 45.28 kg/m2 and average apnea-hypopnea index of 40.42 events/hour or severe OSA. Seven themes were reported: the causes of obesity, effects of obesity, effects of weight loss, experiences of social media on weight loss, CPAP therapy prior to bariatric surgery, and experiences of social media on bariatric surgery. Morbidly obese patients with OSA who planned for bariatric surgery suffered physically and mentally from obesity, including social stigmatization. These patients had failed in various weight loss programs and believed that bariatric surgery was the correct solution.

Conclusions:

Social media platforms are a source of information prior to bariatric surgery. CPAP equipment is not a lifesaving machine; rather it is a temporary treatment before surgery and may not be required after weight loss.