Does anyone have sleep apnea?

[sbailey1 25]

Was diagnosed with it in 2011! I am going to see the pulmonologist that read my report for clearance for surgery instead of one on their list. I am hoping that I don't have to go through another sleep study! And I'm hoping seeing him is enough and I don't have to go see another one on their list! Does anyone have any experience with this? And, how do they handle someone with sleep apnea during surgery and after? Thanks!

[Comfy_Blue 285]

Hi,

I have mild obstructive sleep apnea. It was recently diagnosed and I was given four options (1. Lose Weight 2. Mouth Guard 3. C-Pap 4. Corrective Surgery. I went with the first option).

Anyway, while I was waiting for my sleep study results, my surgeon told me that if I was prescribed a machine, I would need to bring my C-Pap with me to the hospital. The reason is that sometimes sleep apnea patients are harder to rouse/more groggy from the anathesesia than "regular" patients.

I was also told that I might need to use it for a day after.

When I had my surgery, they didn't have to use a C-Pap on me and I don't think I was anymore out of it than a typical patient. I slept most of my first recovery day, but my breathing was normal.

I'm not a doctor, but what I found happened with my own body is that as I've been losing weight, my sleep apnea seems to be correcting itself. At my heaviest, I was about 245lbs and I was having to wake up for frequent bathroom trips, couldn't stay asleep, and was feeling fuzzy brained all day.

I lost about 20lbs before the surgery (I was 226 the actual day) and even though my apnea isn't cured, I don't wake up with a bursting bladder anymore, I'm able to make it through the day without needing a nap and I don't wake myself up with my snores/uncomfortable breathing.

I hope this was somewhat helpful. I would definitely bring up your concerns with the surgeon so he can address any questions. You'll feel much more relaxed that way. :-)

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I hate the studies too because ironically you get very little quality sleep with all those wires attached and an uncomfortable bed, not to mention the ordeal of just getting up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. And then there is that sticky goo in your hair and the pain of ripping off the pads (for men).

I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea a few months before surgery. Most of us have had this condition before. So I was on the machine nightly until surgery and admit it took some getting used to. I always wanted to rip that sucker off after 2-3 hours. However, insurance required a certain number of hours on average every night which is recorded on the little memory card. On surgery day, I brought the machine with me, but they never used it. It sat lonely at the end of my bed. Nor did I use it while in the hospital. My hospital stay was 5 days due to some O2 complications (in ICU for 2 of those days). By the time I returned home, I used it for a couple days and then discovered I really did not need it any more. The snoring was gone within a couple weeks so the machine went under the bed.

Fast forward a year and I did a second sleep study, just to see if cpap machine and I could break up amicably for good. It turned out I was 100% cured of any sleep apnea. The expensive brick (1600 dollars) still sits under my bed today only slightly used. Eventually, I need to sell it or find someone who needs it because it is doing zero good gathering dust. You will probably have to do a second sleep study eventually as a post op to measure progress.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Fiddleman

[sbailey1 25]

Thank you both for responding to this! I really appreciate it! I am just hoping that seeing the guy who read my results is enough since it was in 2011! I don't want to go through another sleep study! At least not now!

[macman 603]

sleep apnea is one of the comorbidities that qualified me for the surgery. I was diagnosed about two years ago with severe obstructive apnea. I have religously worn the mask on a nightly basis since. Even taking it with me to travel

The anesthesiologist was very interested in this issue. I am not sure of the particulars but it was obvious they paid special attention because of it. They kept me in surgical ICU during recovery because of the apnea and I wore an oxygen line during my first day. I had to wear my CPAP the night I spent in the Hospital and they hooked an oxygen line to the CPAP overnight. They also closely monitored oxygen levels the entire time I was there. Surgeon told me I should continue to use the CPAP for awhile until I could be tested after some significant weight loss.

[Andrew0929 1,102]

I have had severe sleep apnea since 1989. The CPAP machine has been 100% successful to treat it.

When you get a machine I highly recommend getting a self- titrating machine, of which automatically adjusts the settings based on the need. This has been especially helpful as I've lost weight, as my setting has slowly lowered.

[savannah1214 2]

Hi! I was sleeved Dec. 18th. I knew that had sleep apnea for a few years but wasn't officially diagnosed until one month prior to my surgery. The anesthesiologist usually want to know this prior to putting you under to assess any complications you might have during surgery. I woke up intubated and could hear the nurses and doctors talking about how shallow I was breathing and my blood pressure being out of control. I was in recovery nearly an hour. Since the surgery, I have felt 100% better. No waking up with headaches. I am waiting until 6months post-op to schedule my follow-up sleep study.