Surgery for broken ankle tomorrow

Hi Everyone,

I passed my two year anniversary an CPAP last week.
I am so grateful for the help I've received here and want to encourage all the new people to persevere.

I broke my ankle last Monday and am having surgery tomorrow. I'm taking my CPAP machine.

I have some questions:

Will they use it in the operating theatre?

Will I need to take anything apart from the usual equipment I use each night?

Any tips or hints greatly appreciated from anyone who has taken their machine to hospital with them.

Make sure the surgeon and anesthesiologist know about your OSA and discuss using Cpap in Recovery (you won't need it during surg because you'll be on 02 the whole time). But you need to check with the hospital either via your doctor and surgeon about whether to bring your own machine/mask for the recovery room (and if nec. go over your set-up etc. with the nurses) because some hosps. don't want you to bring your own stuff and will use theirs, but others are clueless (or at least nurses are) so it should be discussed ahead of time.

Chikorita wrote:Hi Everyone,

I passed my two year anniversary an CPAP last week.
I am so grateful for the help I've received here and want to encourage all the new people to persevere.

I broke my ankle last Monday and am having surgery tomorrow. I'm taking my CPAP machine.

I have some questions:

Will they use it in the operating theatre?

Will I need to take anything apart from the usual equipment I use each night?

Any tips or hints greatly appreciated from anyone who has taken their machine to hospital with them.

it's almost certain they will NOT use it in the OR, if they're putting you out, they'll have an anesthesiologist and will likely intubate you, however, you should talk to the anesthesiologist and make them aware you use cpap, and you have yours with you, because (I've heard) they may put you on it in recovery... best to check with them ahead of time and make sure that they're all aware you need it!

The surgeon and the hospital both know and said to BYO machine which is good. It's good to know it probably won't be used in operating theatre. I am hoping to have it all set up by hubby when he drops me off and then the nurse can just pass the mask to me when I get back to my room.

Best wishes with your surgery and recovery!

I had a procedure that required full anesthesia.
In speaking with the anesthesiologist, we discussed my apnea issues and he had me bring my setup to the surgical suite.
While in pre-op, the recovery nurse had me perform an in service training session on how to assemble my system and how to attach my mask. According to my data from my machine, they connected me almost immediately after I left the surgical suite and was extubated after the procedure. It was a while before I was fully awake and could tell them I no longer needed my machine.

BTW, the anesthesiologist modified his procedure after discussing with me exactly what my apnea issues were. For example, fentanyl is a normal choice but in my case he decided to use propofol instead since it is much shorter acting and suppresses breathing less. With fentanyl, I would stop breathing in the recovery room for significant periods of time and end up in ICU as a result.

So bring everything including a small bottle of distilled water - they won't have any.
Be prepared to teach the recovery personnel how to assemble your system and how to attach it to you. Many nursing staff will have never seen a CPAP in use and they will be appreciative of the training.

When you get home, plan on doing a thorough cleaning of everything just in case.

Make sure your name is on all your stuff. Make sure the recovery room nurse knows how to put your mask on you. See that it all goes with you on your gurney so that the recovery room folks have it. If you use a humidifier do not have water in it until you are safely in your room as someone else may get water into your cpap. You will probably be intubated in surgery.
Hopefully a relative will greet you in your room and help you set up the cpap...assuming that you will stay the night there.