I use a cpap machine at night for apnea. I am 2 days post op. I'm still getting rid of my surgery gas. The idea of forcing more air inside me doesn't seem to make sense. How soon after your surgery did you get back on your cpap?

On 11/16/2023 at 18:02, Way2Cynical said:

I use a cpap machine at night for apnea. I am 2 days post op. I'm still getting rid of my surgery gas. The idea of forcing more air inside me doesn't seem to make sense. How soon after your surgery did you get back on your cpap?

I restarted mine second night but it was off and on as I was able to tolerate it. I am 3 days post op today.

I used mine right after the surgery, the first night in the hospital.

I used mine right after surgery in the hospital too. The C-PAP is pushing air into your AIRWAY, not your abdomen, so it won't affect the gas pain. And after surgery you are at risk for pneumonia, so the more full your breath is, the better for preventing that. I wouldn't skip it if I were you. You can ask your doctor but I don't think they'll tell you to opt out of it. I was told to even wear it if I was sitting on the couch watching TV as narcotics can suppress respiration and they wanted me to have it on in case I fell asleep.

Yep, it’s gas in a totally different part of your body. The surgical gas is pumped into your abdominal cavity so outside your lungs. The remaining gas post surgery rises up behind your lungs pressing in nerves causing shoulder pain & general discomfort. The surgical gas is absorbed into your lungs, attaches to water molecules & is breathed out. It takes about a week to be fully expelled from your body so is a very slow process. Using your CPAP machine won’t affect you or the side effects of the surgical gas. Using your machine will help you though with your recovery by ensuring you’re sleeping well & not straining your heart. And slow, deep breathing actually helps expel the gas faster too.