I have sleep apnea.. i have to take the test for my doctor and get levels. I am a flight attendant and only experience it mainly after flying for work a trip.. i recently developed this as i gained 25 pounds since i started this job. I do not have a Cpap machine. Once the doctor gets my test results back, he can write me a script for one and my insurance can cover it. I am always able to use my reflexes to wake myself up and start breathing again. It doesnt occur every night. Maybe once or twice of an occurrence (occurrence meaning a single night) it can happen with me stop breathing multiple occasions thru out the night.. Last night, it only happened once.. the night before that it happened 3 times. Im able to re-catch my breath and drink some water and go back to sleep. MY MAIN question after all that, is… how do doctors make sure that you dont stop breathing during anesthesia when you only use your cpap machine before surgery and after surgery. How are they able to monitor your breathing so that you dont stop breathing during the actual surgery? Because i dont think you’re hooked up to a breathing machine are you? Has anyone had to be hooked up to a breathing machine during their actual gastric sleeve or bypass surgery ? What if I fall asleep after I leave the surgery center and im still under anesthesia? Should i wear my cpap machine at all times for a day or two? For those with sleep apnea that are outpatient, what did you do?

Hello! I have had sleep apnea for a long time. Here is exactly what my doctor told me about the procedure:

"Once asleep, the anesthesiologist will gently place a tube in your throat to help you breath during your surgery."

So I think procedure-wise you are safe. I do have to bring my bipap with me to the hospital for my overnight stay.

You absolutely will be intubated while under general anesthesia and will be monitored the entire time by the anesthesiologist who puts you under; that is their entire role during your surgery.

While you may be tired and a little groggy, you will not be discharged while still under anesthesia; that completely dissipates while you're in post-op recovery.

As Anomalia said above, if you're staying over night at the hospital, they'll tell you to bring your machine (if you're actually diagnoses with sleep apnea following your sleep study).

If you're having your surgery as an outpatient, you should use your machine while you're resting the first couple of days because you definitely will sleep. After that, just use it as you normally would.

While you are recovering, the nursing team will be monitoring your oxygen levels closely. I just had my surgery about a week ago and I have apnea. And I know a few times I would fall asleep without my CPAP and a nurse would come in and tell me that I needed oxygen and that would remind me to just put my CPAP on. You’ll be OK!

I have pretty severe sleep apnea (though only when dreaming, weirdly enough) and have been under anesthesia multiple times. They carefully control and monitor your breathing while you are out. When you are awake just wear your c-pap when you are resting and think you might fall asleep. Definitely bring it to the hospital with you!!

There is an anesthesiologist with you during surgery to monitor you during surgery and you're intubated while you're under. They will require you to bring your cpap to use while you're in the hospital.

10 minutes ago, LindsayT said:

There is an anesthesiologist with you during surgery to monitor you during surgery and you're intubated while you're under. They will require you to bring your cpap to use while you're in the hospital.

Yes! I forgot to add that! Everyone gets their own anesthesiologist or nurse anesthesiologist. They are AMAZING people, there for you and only you, from start to finish! They manage your breathing, your anesthesia, and stay with you through the whole procedure. I always love meeting the anesthesiologist before surgery because they check over everything so carefully and while everyone else is focused on the surgery itself they are 100% focused on YOU. Plus they are the ones with the happy drugs! ?

Edited August 21, 20233 yr by ChunkCat