- Sleep apnoea counts as a condition from BMI 35.
- Bring your CPAP or MRA to hospital.
- Good breathing matters around anaesthesia.
- Complaints often improve after weight loss.
- Never stop CPAP without a new sleep test.
How does sleep apnoea relate to obesity?
In obstructive sleep apnoea the airway repeatedly closes during sleep, causing breathing pauses, snoring and daytime sleepiness. Excess weight, especially around the neck and abdomen, is a major risk factor. Vitalys lists sleep apnoea among the diseases linked to abdominal fat.
Because it is weight-related, sleep apnoea counts as a condition in the Dutch criteria: with a BMI of 35 or higher and sleep apnoea you can qualify for surgery.
Around the operation
Good breathing is extra important around anaesthesia and during the first nights. That is why Rivierenland asks you to bring your CPAP or MRA. Tell the team during screening how well your treatment works and whether you use it every night.
After weight loss
For many people, snoring and breathing pauses decrease as they lose weight, and some no longer need their device. But that is decided by a new measurement, not by how you feel. Stopping on your own can be dangerous, because sleep apnoea can persist even when you feel better.
Ask your GP or sleep specialist when a new sleep test makes sense, usually after significant weight loss.
What helps and what to avoid
Advantages
| Advantage | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Using CPAP every night | also before surgery |
| Bringing it to hospital | better breathing after anaesthesia |
| Weight loss | often fewer complaints |
| Retesting | safe decision about stopping |
Points of attention
| Point of attention | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Stopping CPAP yourself | risky without a test |
| Alcohol and sleeping pills | worsen breathing pauses |
| Forgetting the device | bring it to hospital |
| Ignoring daytime sleepiness | report it |
Cost and insurance (2026)
Sleep apnoea care and the operation follow normal Dutch coverage rules.
| Item | Amount or arrangement |
|---|---|
| Surgery with BMI 35 + sleep apnoea | €385 deductible 2026 |
| Sleep test via specialist | basic package, deductible |
| CPAP device | via insurer, per policy |
Sleep apnoea: key figures
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Qualifies from | BMI 35 with sleep apnoea |
| Bring to hospital | CPAP or MRA |
| Stopping CPAP | only after a new test |
| Linked to | abdominal fat (Vitalys) |
| Condition type | weight-related |
Sleep apnoea before and after surgery
| Phase | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before surgery | use CPAP nightly | better health and safety |
| In hospital | bring device | breathing after anaesthesia |
| First months | keep using CPAP | until retested |
| After weight loss | new sleep test | decide on stopping |
Step by step
- Diagnosis. Sleep test if you snore or feel sleepy.
- Treatment. CPAP or MRA every night.
- Screening. Mention it; it counts for eligibility.
- Hospital. Bring your device.
- Retest. After weight loss, before stopping.
Read next
- Eligibility with sleep apnoea — BMI 35
- Hospital stay — what to bring
- The operation — anaesthesia
- Knowledge base — all articles
Sleep apnoea and alcohol
Alcohol relaxes the muscles of the throat and makes breathing pauses worse. After a bypass it also reaches the blood faster and at higher levels. Another reason to be very careful with alcohol, especially in the evening.
Travelling with your CPAP
Take your CPAP in hand luggage and bring a copy of your prescription. After surgery, keep using it while travelling until a new test shows you no longer need it.
How to recognise sleep apnoea
Typical signs are loud snoring, breathing pauses noticed by a partner, waking up with a dry mouth or headache, and feeling sleepy during the day despite enough hours in bed. Many people with obesity have sleep apnoea without knowing it. If you recognise these signs, ask your GP about a sleep test; it matters for your health and for your eligibility for surgery.
Treatment with CPAP often improves energy and concentration within weeks, which also makes the preparation for surgery easier.
After surgery: signs to report
Report daytime sleepiness, morning headaches or snoring that returns or worsens, also years after surgery. It can mean sleep apnoea is back, for example after weight regain.
Sleep apnoea and the choice of operation
Sleep apnoea itself does not decide which operation you get; the team chooses based on your overall situation, such as diabetes, reflux and earlier surgery. What sleep apnoea does influence is the planning around anaesthesia and the first nights, which is why using your device and mentioning it at screening matters so much.
Sleep hygiene still matters
Regular bedtimes, a dark and quiet bedroom, no heavy meals late in the evening and limiting alcohol all support better sleep. These habits help whether or not you still need your device after weight loss, and they support energy during the first demanding months.
Ask your sleep specialist which of these habits matter most for you.
Small changes add up.
Sleep well.
Frequently asked questions about sleep apnoea and weight loss surgery
Yes. With a BMI of 35 or higher and sleep apnoea you can qualify, because it is a weight-related condition.
Yes. Ziekenhuis Rivierenland asks explicitly to bring your CPAP or MRA.
For many people complaints improve after weight loss, but not for everyone. A new sleep test decides.
No, never stop on your own. Ask for a new sleep test first.
Usually after significant weight loss; your GP or sleep specialist advises on timing.
Anaesthesia and painkillers can affect breathing; using your own device helps in the first nights.
Yes, it relaxes throat muscles and worsens breathing pauses.
Tell your GP; a sleep test can show whether you have sleep apnoea, which also matters for surgery.
Via a specialist referral, under the basic package; your deductible applies.
The main effect comes from weight loss; the team chooses the operation based on your overall situation.
Call +31 6 38048347 (Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00) or email info@maagverkleining-info.nl. This page is also available in Dutch.
Sources
- Ziekenhuis Rivierenland: patient information
- Vitalys (Rijnstate): criteria and diseases linked to abdominal fat
- Richtlijn Chirurgische behandeling van obesitas, NVvH
Search terms leading here: sleep apnoea weight loss surgery, CPAP after gastric bypass, OSA bariatric surgery Netherlands.
Author: Gijs Bodenstaff. Last reviewed: September 2026.