One of the many stops on your bariatric surgery journey is a pulmonary clearance.
The point of this clearance is to assess your lung function and identify any issues that may lead to complications with your bariatric surgery. You’ll start the exam like any other appointment and discuss topics like smoking, breathing, snoring and chest tightness. The doctor may order further testing, such as a sleep study or a pulmonary function test, and follow-up appointments. These tests are to test you for underlying lung conditions that could affect the outcome of your surgery. The pulmonary clearance for bariatric surgery checks your risk for pulmonary complications during and after your surgery.
WHY IT’S NECESSARY
It’s necessary to get a pulmonary clearance for bariatric surgery to assess your lung function and determine any underlying pulmonary issues that could affect you during or after surgery. UpToDate has a great article that provides in-depth information about pulmonary clearances. The report states that the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program indicated that six percent of patients with major abdominal surgery had post-op pulmonary complications. Risk factors for complications include age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, smoking, obesity and obstructive sleep apnea. Since many bariatric patients have obstructive sleep apnea with their obesity, it’s good to have your lungs checked before surgery.
AT YOUR PULMONARY CLEARANCE FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY
When you arrive for your pulmonary clearance for bariatric surgery, you’ll start as most doctor appointments do. You’ll sign in with the receptionist, and when they call you back, they’ll take your vitals. The nurse will check your height, weight, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation. Then you’ll talk about your pulmonary history, like asthma and snoring with the doctor.
They may assess you for obstructive sleep apnea by measuring your neck circumference and taking a questionnaire. The questionnaire I took was called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and it gives the doctor an idea of how well you are sleeping. You rate how likely you are to doze in certain situations, like watching TV or riding in a car. If you are excessively tired during the day, you may not be getting adequate sleep. If you are sleeping for seven to eight hours and are still tired, it may be worth getting checked for sleep apnea. I scored an 11 on the ESS, which is considered mild excessive daytime sleepiness.
MY EXPERIENCE
When I went for my pulmonary clearance, I met with a very sweet nurse practitioner. I explained to her that I wanted to get bariatric surgery and needed a pulmonary approval. We first discussed my breathing. While my doctor never diagnosed me with asthma in the past, I revealed to her that I cough and get chest tightness when I exercise, get exposed to cold air or smell a strong perfume. It only lasts for about 30 minutes after the trigger, and then seems to clear.
