Question on sleep apnea and surgery?
I had a heart cath done and they wouldnt give me anything because of my sleep apnea,and that is just a mild sedation,My question is I need neck surgery a major surgery,whats that going to do with my sleep apnea?I have severe sleep apnea and i am also a diabetic.Doesnt look to good uh?
Tagged with: heart • major surgery • mild sedation • neck surgery • sleep • sleep apnea
Filed under: Sleep Apnea Symptoms
I took care of sleep disorder patients for the last seven years I did clinical work before I changed fields. Surgery is manageable with OSA.
1) make certain the person who is going to give you the anesthesia knows you have sleep apnea. That is by far the most important thing. Mention it when they do your history and physical, and to every new doctor that sees you.
2) If possible, have a copy of your sleep study and get them to put it in your chart when you’re there. I always stressed to my patients to have a personal copy, and to take it with them when they travelled, in case they were hospitalized. Whoever did the test should give you one if you request it. If it’s a hospital, ask for Release of Information. You will be asked to sign a consent to release the information, even to you.
3) If you use a CPAP or BIPAP, bring it with you, and make them use it in the Recovery Room. (make sure it has your name and contact info on it). You would recover without it, but you’ll do it much better and faster if you wear it in the RR, or PACU.
Good luck, and best wishes!
for general anesthia they put you out and put you on a breathing tube and breathe for you, so you should be fine. I would assume the doctor knows about your sleep apnea?
The sleep apnea shouldn’t affect the major surgery. You will have an endotracheal tube (the infamous ‘tube down the throat’) that provides continuous oxygen into your lungs. Just make sure you let the anesthesiologist know your concerns during your pre-op.
I also have severe sleep apnea, and I’ve been told they won’t give me sleep aids because I may be sound enough asleep from them that I won’t awaken enough to start breathing again.
When you have sleep apnea, and your throat closes, you usually awake enough to take a big breath and open it up again. If you are drugged into sleep by a sleeping aid, you may not wake up enough to take that big breath.
I’m sorry to hear you’re going through such a difficult time. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
I hope this helps.
Take care.
Kathy
This shouldn’t be a problem for you. Your anaesthetist will probably recommend you spend the first day or so after your surgery, under close observation, in the hospitals high dependency unit (HDU). I work in this kind of unit and frequently care for post operative patients with exactly the same conditions as you; with no problems or adverse effects at all.
Talk to your anaestetist, they will reassure you that all will be well.
Make sure your doctor AND the anesthesiologist (person who puts you to sleep) knows that you have all of these conditions. They have treated people before with these and worse and know what to do, they are trained for this. They will probably monitor your breathing more closely. Ask plenty of questions when you go in for your pre-op appoitment with your surgeon. Good luck!! (I’m going in for surgery on my knee on Wednesday and I have my pre-op on Monday and will be asking all the questions I can)