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Obesity possesses serious risk undergoing surgery and anesthesia. Sharing all medical problems and answering questions honestly in your pre-surgical interview will help guide the physician anesthesiologist in recommending the best way forward. If, for example, you have undiagnosed sleep apnea, you might be sent to have a sleep study or pulmonary function test done prior to surgery to evaluate the severity and associated risk. You will also be instructed about the use and bring you a C-PAP machine on the day of surgery. In addition, anything that worsens your breathing like cigarette and marijuana smoking will be discussed with you, and you will get clear instructions about smoking cessation prior to surgery. Upper respiratory problems, for example, COPD and asthma can worsen obstructive sleep apnea, and you might be sent to see a pulmonologist to get these medical problems optimized prior to surgery. Weight loss will be recommended and sometimes be mandated before proceeding with elective surgery. These extra steps can seem overwhelming, but anything that can improve your overall health will decrease your risk for complications, and we work closely with you to make this as easy as possible.
