Question about OSA and surgery/anesthesia

xyz wrote:......

One of our local hospitals now forbids patients from bringing their own equipment. You have to depend on them to have the right equipment and to set it up right. I don't have complete confidence that everything will be exactly right.

........

Last night, I just heard that about our local hospital. I am sure they have their reasons. I think someone once wrote on this forum that a patient brought his cpap to the hospital for his surgery. If I remember correctly, when the hospital examined it, they found all kind of junk in it and it had obviously not been used in a very long time.

[I have great difficulty believing all that. I've never experienced any of that personally, and I've been involved with a number of surgeries (fortunately, most not my own). In my experience, "visitors" are allowed in recovery for a good reason. Of course, maybe my experience just involved medical personnel willing to look the other way.

If I ever experience any of that though, my already low opinion of the medical profession will drop a notch further down.

Regards,
Bill[/quote]

The previous hospital that I used here in Amarillo did not allow visitors into the recovery area. And a friend took her CPAP there with her last summer for a total knee replacement. After surgery when she was in her room, the nurses took her off CPAP and put her on oxygen because they said her oxygen level was falling too low. Let's see, she doesn't have a data capable machine and isn't one bit interested in monitoring her own therapy. I've warned her over and over that just strapping on a mask and hitting the power button does not necessarily provide the therapy she needs. I think the low oxygen level proves that.

Anyway, I'm up for a total knee replacement at another hospital (had to change due to insurance change) and I'm going to get everything set before I go in. I think my sleep doc will be an advocate and give orders for careful observation with or without CPAP on.

Jane

Since I was only recently diagnosed with severe OSA, I'm only able to report my prior experiences with anesesthia has been quite unpleasant with breathing problems (narrow airway) as well as acute nausea/vomiting. I've had four abdominal hernia operations in the last 10 years, and the last one I chose to have 'conscience sedation" where I was able to even talk to the surgeon during the procedure. Having been both routes, I found my recovery and post op drastically easier using that form of sedation and pain management. This is only a personal experience, but wanted to share.

and a p.s.
my father has been on cpap over a decade, and anytime he's needed
any procedure at the hospital, we've brought his cpap from home, making
him more comfortable, and the staff has always gratefully accepted it.
Thankfully, never ran into a problem.

I had surgery last November. For the pre-op appointment, I was prepared to ask for what I needed. I asked to speak to the recovery room nurse. She assured me that they see CPAP all the time, and that an RT would take care of me. She said they even kept distilled water. I felt like things would go well.

As I woke up from the surgery I asked for my machine. The very nurse I spoke to remembered me. She said they could not even turn it on but the RT had been summoned. Almost 2 hours later the RT showed up, plugged in my machine, handed me my mask and said "You put it on." It was a Swift 2, apparently not familiar to them. Good thing I was awake.

From the moment I woke up I had struggled to stay awake so I could breathe. It was not the best situation, and I was very disappointed in what happened. Little did I know it was representative of the rest of the time I was in that hospital. I will not go to that hospital again. They kept giving me $5 gift certificates to compensate for errors they made. Of course, they were redeemable in the hospital gift shop or cafeteria.

The doctor was good. I healed well. My experience there was awful.

cflame1 wrote:I discussed my treatment with the anesthesiologist prior to the surgery and even though I brought the machine with me in order to be able to use it in the recovery room, it was never used.

Same here.... they NEVER even put it on me.... I awoke feeling like I had just ran around the block....
I just remember being in the recovery room and waking up... breathing very heavy... and the nurse keying into the computer.... "patient having heavy breathing" The feeling went away after a couple of minutes or so...... but I can't help wondering what my o2 stat was????

I just went through major surgery last week. A family member was not allowed in recovery but I did have my machine with me. As soon as I was rousing from anesthesia and they took the tube out of my throat (ick....was not a pleasant experience being intubated...fortunately they did it after I was "out of it"), they gave me oxygen along with my cpap......