Sleep Apnea and Surgery.... please help!

[Whitneyb404]

I have been using my cpap machine for a couple of months and have finally gotten used to it.

I went to see my dr today for a pre-operation appointment. I am having surgery in a few weeks.
The forms I filled out had me indicate I use the cpap machine. The dr said she was concerned but
wasn't sure I had to use it. I am going to be completely out for this surgery for a couple of hours.
I am extremely concerned that they may say I shouldn't use the cpap machine...
I am concerned that while I am out I stop breathing and can not wait myself up due to the anethetic.
Please tell me if I should be concerned? I still have to ask the nurses at the hospital...but does
anyone have info regarding surgery and cpap machines?

Please fill me in and let me know your thoughts...
Thanks!

[oscar98]

Something you could ask for is a short acting anesthetic like diprovan. That's what they gave me for my sinus surgery recently. I woke right up after surgery and didn't go back to sleep until bedtime that night.
When you do your pre-op exam with the nurse ask what the procedure is with sleep apnea patients. You will most likely have a nurse right next to you keeping an eye on your breathing during the first phase of recovery.
If they won't put your cpap on you immediately after surgery then have a family member keep it with them and have them hook it up for you as soon as they come back to see you.

I understand your concern because I had the same fears before my surgery. However, the diprovan worked out so nicely that I had nothing to worry about.

[Trinity101]

While you are having the surgery, it is not necessary to use your cpap because the anesthesiologist is monitoring your respirations, and will be using a type of respirator to give you deep enough respiarios- this is NOT the same as being on a resiprator, but you do have an endotracheal tube in.
In recovery- or pacu (post anesthesia care unit), your respirations are also monitored, and you will be on supplemental oxygen. When you go to your room, that is when they should set you up with your machine.
Hope this helps.
~joan

[Big Daddy RRT,RPSGT]

You most certainly should bring your CPAP for your surgery. If you are under general anesthestic you will be intubated and on a ventilator. But eventually you will be extubated in recovery, this is where OSA really rears it's ugly head. People with OSA are at very high risk for post surgical complications in the recovery room. In fact anethesiologist are supposed to do a pre-surgical screening for OSA because the risk of complications is so high. You should not only bring it but insist that they put it on you after you have been extubated, if not in the recovery room at least shortly there after. Let your anethesiologist know you have it, if he/she is clinically up to date he/she will be glad you brought it.Good Luck.

[rise&shiner]

I have never had surgery before and I have always been afraid about being put under and now that I have to back surgefry and be in the hospitalo for acouple of days, I am even more fearful because of my sleep apnea but I don't want my cpap to get broken or stolen. so do I just give it to the nurse when I register for surgery and hope that it is there for me in recovery or do I give it to my husband to set-up for me once I am in my hospital room? Also has anyone had a bad experieince coming out of anesthesia because of their sleep apenea?

[Janknitz]

You will be monitored closely during surgery and while in the recovery room, but if you are staying overnight in the hospital you will want to be on CPAP once you leave the recovery room. Some hospitals (few and far between) are starting to be aware of the benefits of CPAP and have protocols for their use. But . . .

The respiratory therapy department at the typical hospital should be able to set you up on a hospital CPAP machine but there are a few problems with this:
1) It takes a LOT of communication among many people to get the machine and set up ready when you are moved out of recovery. Expect glitches and delays. You will need an assertive family member to see that the necessary follow-through is done. It's easy for the ball to get dropped, or for unnecessarily long delays to happen.
2) Nurses and RT's may be unfamilliar with how to best set it up for you. Again, you need a family member or friend to make sure it's correct--you may be too out of it yourself.
3) Hospital machines may be noiser, they may not use (or forget) humidification, they may not have EPR or auto functions, and may have ill-fitting standard masks.

It's probably better, if an overnight stay is anticipated, to put your family member in charge of the machine. While you are in surgery, that family member should work on making certain that doctor's orders are in place for you to use your machine post-operatively, and that engineering or whomever has to check out the machine does so, so that there will be no delays in getting it going once you are moved out of recovery.

[rise&shiner]

I really appreciate the suggestions and I will place a call to talk to the anestheologist and the pulminologist to find out what the protocol is so that I can try and iron out any problems before hand.

[Janknitz]

Let us know how it goes and what you find out.