Sleep apnea testing

[christy38 17]

I was cleared for surgery by my pulmonary doc but feeling kinda confused as to why he didn't send me to get a sleep test. He did ask if anyone has ever told me that I stop breathing while sleeping and no one ever told me until I was talking about it with my boy friend and he said out of no where "yea I think a couple times I've seen you kinda stop breath for seconds." Ugh! Why didn't he say this before???? Lol anyway.. I feel that I may have it but now I'm cleared by pulmonary for surgery. He said my breathing looks normal. He also gave X-ray test of my chest and it came back fine so now I'm confused about having the sleep test or not. If my breathing results look fine should I still get a sleep study test? Help me out here today was my last pre op appointment

[READY4CHANGE2013 88]

I didn't have to do the sleep apnea test either so let's consider ourselves "LUCKY"!! CONGRATS and GOOD LUCK!!

[Umkayy 6]

I say if it is not too much out of your pocket I would go ahead and get the sleep study done. After having mine done and getting a CPAP I feel so much better.

[TwinsMama 483]

If he didn't order it, I say no. In the hospital they may give you a breathing tube in recovery and you certainly get one in the OR. Trust that he felt you were okay. Unless you think this is going to hinder your success, I'd say let it go.

Also, realize that many people post-op see their apnea subside, so you may find after a month or so you wouldn't need it anyway.

[BKLYNgal87 503]

Breathing normally while awake doesn't mean you don't have sleep apnea. It's when you are asleep that the breathing gets interrupted. I have sleep apnea, probably had it for years, but never knew or got tested until my surgeon asked me about my sleep habits and daytime fatigue. Getting the sleep study done and the CPAP machine have dramatically improved my life. I hope to be off the machine at about 6 months post-op but in the meantime it has been a life saver.

Yet another test would be a pain but it would be good to know if you have it or not because if it's undiagnosed and you haven't been treated it increases the possibility of extubation complications and you'll be stuck in the PACU a lot longer while they try to stabilize your breathing. It's definitely not a lot of fun. It's up to you which is the bigger nuisance.

[christy38 17]

Thanks all for your comments it really helps a lot . Now my question is , if I get the sleep test done and I come back with having sleep apnea how would that affect me day of surgery?

[DonRodolfo 1,416]

I was cleared for surgery by my pulmonary doc but feeling kinda confused as to why he didn't send me to get a sleep test. He did ask if anyone has ever told me that I stop breathing while sleeping and no one ever told me until I was talking about it with my boy friend and he said out of no where "yea I think a couple times I've seen you kinda stop breath for seconds." Ugh! Why didn't he say this before???? Lol anyway.. I feel that I may have it but now I'm cleared by pulmonary for surgery. He said my breathing looks normal. He also gave X-ray test of my chest and it came back fine so now I'm confused about having the sleep test or not. If my breathing results look fine should I still get a sleep study test? Help me out here today was my last pre op appointment

Absolutely have the sleep test. If you do have sleep apnea you'll need to have been using your machine for awhile before surgery.

[TwinsMama 483]

They'd just order a machine for you and then you'd have to bring it with you to the hospital. Really depends on how fast they can get the machine to you.

[BKLYNgal87 503]

Thanks all for your comments it really helps a lot . Now my question is , if I get the sleep test done and I come back with having sleep apnea how would that affect me day of surgery?

If you have sleep apnea you will need to use your CPAP machine for at least a month every night prior to surgery. It will help make intubation and extubation a lot easier for the anesthesiologist and thereby making it safer for you. Your surgery will go normally and when you get sent to recovery (PACU) they will most likely hook you up to your own CPAP machine or a hospital machine and an O2 tank if needed. You'll probably wake up with the mask on and it will help you recover from the surgery and anesthesia. That's pretty much it.

[BWaltD 87]

From a Respiratory Therapist Im sure you were asked the standard questions about daytime sleepiness. After answering them and a visualization if your upper airways your pulmonologist

[BWaltD 87]

Damn finger..... So your Doc feels there is no need for the sleep study. If post op with sedation/ pain meds on board and an observed apnea occurs a wonderful non-invasive positive pressure ventilator will be ordered. Your friendly RT will be Johnny in the spot to set you up. You

Shouldn't worry about this... We watch over you and keep you safe.

OSA, obstructive sleep apnea is very serious, but if you don't qualify for the study you are good to go.

Hope this helps. Ive been doing Respiratory Care for 30 yrs at a large medical center in Detroit where we are a Bariatric Center of Excellence.

[sheilarae 84]

My son told me I snored do I had the test. Come to find out my brain was "waking"me up 82 Ted am hour to make me breathe. I've been using a CPAC machine for 2 years. Hope to get rid if it. But I'm glad I had the test. They were surprised I hadn't had a stroke or a heart attack! Thank you son!!

[sheilarae 84]

82 times. I don't know who Ted is. Time for bed!

[Macy6 356]

82 times. I don't know who Ted is. Time for bed!

HA HA HA.... sounds like me!

I had no day time sleepiness, I was depressed and stressed. My physician recommended I get one, and I found out I was waking up 22 times an hour. I have struggled with my CPAP, I wear it nightly but I tend to take it off, unknowingly, in my sleep. When those times are short (after a couple hours) I can tell that day. The sleep study sucks, the CPAP sucks, but it really does help and I KNOW I won't need it all that much longer. I agree with BWaltD though, I have seen Respiratory in hospitals and if you are having apnea spells they will put a CPAP on you.

[MrsYoungJr 4]

I went for my test last night and woke up at 5:30 this morning. She gave me the whole run down on sleep apnea. You don't always get a machine. You have to stop breathing so many times per hour and your oxygen levels has to drop so far and other factors have to be off before they just give you a machine. She told me she may wake me up and give me one if I needed it. Well good thing is she didn't have to wake me up, bad thing is she said once the Doctor looks at everything he may put me on one. Or if there was not enough information he would send me in for another test or do nothing. To be real all of these test they do are to give insurance a reason to say you need surgery. I have had a few surgerys so I know how they make you do tons of test to get approved. Then they also look at numbers how many people with sleep apnea did we help by giving them this surgery.

At the end of the day sleep apnea is not going to hurt you while your having surgery if that was the case everyone one needs to have the test before they have any kind of surgery. Plus you are doing something that is going to make every bad thing you have going on in your body go away anyway.