When I had my preop visit yesterday and found out I can't use my c-pap machine for 2 weeks after surgery. Has anyone else been told that? I am very dependent on it and the few times in the past few years I haven't been able to use it for some reason I am really messed up the next day so the thought of not using it for 2 weeks is making me very worried.. Just wondering if anyone else had this problem and if using oxygen might be an option? If it is I might check with my doctor tomorrow. My surgery is Tuesday.

I don't have sleep apnea & I don't use a CPAP but I remember when I got sleeved a year ago there was a woman who posted on here that she ruptured her sleeve by using her CPAP right after surgery. The air pressure caused the leak / rupture.

That's scary!

Interesting when I met with the sleep study people she told me the main reason people get refereed there was for big surgeries. She said the anesthesia slows down your breathing and body for a couple days after surgery and that's where the majority of people have died post op from WLS because they had sleep apnea that wasn't being treated. Did you have a sleep study before hand? Maybe ask them?

This is what I found from a bariatric Dr.

Scary thing is, I wore mine...yikes

For patients having certain kinds of surgery, the CPAP can potentially cause problems. This is especially true for sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass patients. The CPAP machine blows air/oxygen intothepatients upper airway, helping to keep the passages open and deliver oxygen efficiently. It also blows air into the upper digestive system, including the esophagus and stomach. Since this air is under pressure, and also taking into consideration that the stomach doesn't empty very well right after surgery, a whole lot of air can collect in the stomach. With sleeve/bypass patients, this air, under pressure inthestomach/pouch,can create a leak at the staple line (sleeve) or anastomosis (bypass). Many bariatric surgeons do not allow their sleeve and bypass patients to use CPAP for a week or more after surgery, for this reason alone.

This brings up your final question. Yes, patients are monitored closely after surgery to make sure they are breathing, and No, the CPAP mask isn't critical at all. CPAPmakes for a safer recoveryfor mostpatients, but as I described above, it isn't the correct solution for postoperative oxygenation for all situations.

My Dr didn't want me to use it the day of surgery, but it was okay after that.

Seems like with everything else it varies depending on the surgeons personal opinion and past experiences.

My uncle was sleeved about a year ago and his surgeon had his cpap in recovery and at hospital. He has since broken up with his cpap thanx to his sleeve success. I'm looking forward to breaking up with mine as well.

Amanda Rae