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Why
use Sleep Data's Services?
Most experienced home-based testing company
Cost
effective
Nationwide
market leaders since 1995
Validated,
up-to-date protocols
Timely
- test results within days of referral
Success
rate of 97%+ in obtaining quality data
Manual
scoring and clinical interpretations provided
 by sleep
technicians and pulmonary physicians
Sleep Data has been performing home-based sleep studies for
bariatric physicians and centers since 1995. We have more
experience with home sleep apnea testing of bariatric patients
than any other organization. home-based sleep testing is now
widely accepted in the medical and scientific communities.
Veterans Affairs Hospitals, University of California Medical
Centers, and Kaiser Permanente Hospitals across the country
are utilizing home-based testing. Sleep Data has performed
thousands of studies in all fifty states. Our portable recording
system is the most highly validated
and accurately measures the necessary physiological parameters
to diagnose OSAS as determined by the American Academy of
Sleep Medicine (AASM).
Our sleep study protocols are used by several bariatric centers
nationwide. Sleep Data's business model allows testing of
patients anywhere in the country in a matter of days. There
are no start-up costs and your patients will have the testing
performed in the comfort and privacy of their own home.
"I felt very comfortable performing
the test in my home. I would not be able to sleep somewhere
else." Bariatric
surgical patient, Anchorage, AK
"This
was the best medical experience I've had in my 56 years!"
Bariatric surgical patient, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Why
Bother Diagnosing Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive
sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) affects an estimated 20 million
Americans and is associated with chronic diseases such as
obesity, hypertension, heart failure, stroke, sexual dysfunction,
and depression. Sleep fragmentation, which results from OSAS,
can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, accidents, headaches,
cognitive impairment, and loss of productivity. It has been
estimated that OSAS remains undiagnosed in 82% of men and
93% of women with the condition (1).The costs to the health
care system of undiagnosed and untreated OSAS are profound.
Studies have shown that effectively diagnosing and treating
OSAS, rather than dealing with the consequences of this chronic
disease reduces overall health care costs (2,3).
Obesity
is the single biggest risk factor for OSAS. Approximately
two thirds of patients with OSAS are obese. Weight loss is
associated with clinical improvement in OSAS as measured by
a decrease in respiratory disturbance
index (RDI). In fact weight loss can be curative.
However, the relationship between weight loss and decreased
RDI is not linear. Small amounts of weight loss may have a
significant impact on RDI.
Most medical
insurers and health plans cover sleep apnea studies. The diagnosis
OSAS represents a severe co-morbidity of obesity and therefore,
can aid in expediting insurance authorization for bariatric
surgery or other therapies.
The accurate
diagnosis and effective treatment of sleep apnea may help
to reduce possible operative complications that bariatric
patients may encounter. Furthermore, the presence of sleep
apnea impacts on decision making during anesthesia and postoperative
patient management. Studies have shown that morbidly obese
patients with respiratory insufficiency have a higher surgical
complication rate than those without.
Most importantly,
patients diagnosed and treated for sleep apnea, can begin
leading a healthier life immediately and may see dramatic
improvement in their overall well-being.
"The medical community is understanding,
more and more, the significance of sleep apnea. It poses a
major health risk. home-based sleep studies have assisted
us in obtaining insurance authorization".
Alan Wittgrove, M.D. Bariatric Surgeon
"For
patients suspected of having obstructive airflow, a preoperative
sleep study can provide objective documentation of the clinical
need for weight reduction surgery. These studies also represent
a baseline for measuring post-surgical improvement."
Leslie Jester, CRNP, Bariatric Nurse Practitioner
Sleep Data has been working very closely with Doctors
Clark and Wittgrove of the Alvarado
Center for Surgical Weight Control for several years.
Sleep Data participated in a study of sixty of their bariatric
patients. home-based studies were performed pre-surgery and
at least three months post-surgery. We found that sleep apnea
was completely resolved or was dramatically improved following
weight
reduction surgery . Additional studies have also demonstrated
the dramatic improvement in OSAS possible following weight
loss (4,5).
Learn more about obstructive sleep
apnea syndrome (OSAS).
Learn more
about obesity.
Learn more about
bariatric physicians.
Learn more about
bariatric surgery.
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References
1.
Young T, Evans L, Finn L, Palta M. Estimation of the clinically
diagnosed proportion of sleep apnea syndrome in middle-aged
men and women. Sleep. 1997;20:705-6.
2. Kryger MH, Roos L, Delaive K, Walld R, Horrocks J. Utilization
of healthcare services in patients with severe obstructive
sleep apnea. Sleep. 1996;19(9 supplement):S111-6.
3. Peker, Hedner, Johannsson, Bende. Reduced hospitalization
with cardiovascular and pulmonary disease in obstructive sleep
apnea patients on nasal CPAP treatment. Sleep. 1997; 20(8):645-53.
4. Charuzi I, Lavie P, Peiser J et al. Bariatric surgery in
morbidly obese sleep-apnea patients: short and long term follow-up.
Am J Clin Nutr 1992;55:594S-7S.
5. Sugerman HJ, Fairman RP, Sood RK et al. Long term effects
of gastric surgery for treating respiratory insufficiency
of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 1992;55:597S-602S.
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