cpap and surgery

i am currently waiting for my initial consultation with my surgeon. my question is--I just found out that i have severe sleep apnea. i am so tired and sleep very little. will i have to be on the cpap machine before my surgery. i can't stand anything over my nose. i seem to have panic attacks when this happens so i just thought that i would "make due" until after i lose weight without the machine. but i've been reading that most or maybe all surgeons require that you wear it.why?

Sleep apnea is very dangerous. Think about it - what it means is that you stop breathing while you are sleeping. This puts extra strain on your heart, lungs, and other organs. The Drs want you on a CPAP to lessen the possibility of other problems with your organs cropping up during surgery. You should have the sleep study (I'm sure your doctor will require it) and if you do have it, you can get a "nasal Pillow" type of mask that only sticks inside your nose. It sound awful but it will allow you to do without a full mask that covers your nose or parts of your face. I used a nasal mask for about the first year, then changed to the "nasal pillow" type. It is actually very much like a nasal cannula (the type of thing that they use to deliver oxygen in the hospital). The only difference is that the portion that goes in your nose is large enough to fill up the hole so that air won't escape there. The whole idea of a CPAP is that it forces air down your throat to keep your airway open so that you don't stop breathing while sleeping. I don't know how much you need to lose, but my BMI was about 47 before surgery. I am now down 80+# and stopped using my machine at about 70#. Good Luck! Charlotte

I wear a mask and it really doesn't bother me too much, other than if I can't get the piloows on my bed set just right. Seems I need 3 pillows to get the mask to lie the right way and not keep slipping all night. Just got back from a two week vacation and it was really hard to get it to fit correctly. I very much did notice my level of energy was much lower on the nights that I skipped it. I was wondering, my ins co paid for my sleep study and the machine and mask. I never got a bill so I have no idea how much they cost. Do you have any idea how much the nasal pillows cost. My full mask has a tendancy to fall off during the night and the rushing noise wakes up my husband - like I need one more thing to feel guilty about with him. Anyway appreciate any answers out there. God bless you all. Jami

Hi, I just went to my initial consultation with my surgeon. I have to go for a sleep study. I have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea, but the doctor said If I do have it, then it is very important that I use the machine for a minimum of 8 weeks prior to surgery. He actually told me about a women that had the open rny, who told him she used her machine when she actually did not. She stopped breathing in the recovery room, because of the anistesha (sp). They finally got her back to breathing had to put her on a ventalator, she was in icu. The lady ended up with blood clots in her lungs because she was not able to walk after surgery. She did die. So please, use your machine. Do not take the chance. The machine is there to keep you breathing while asleep. I wish you luck, talk to your doctor tell them it is uncompfortable and see if there is something else you can use, but please use it. Lisa Johnson

Dear Loretta; I also was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea before my lapband surgery. I moaned and groaned about the masks they wanted me to wear with the CPAP machine and they brought out those "air pillows" that Charlotte was telling you about in earlier response. One of the reasons for using the CPAP machine is because our oxygen level are so low from blocked passages and not getting enough oxygen when sleeping. After using the machine for three months, I felt so much better it was worth the inconvenience; when they did a blood gas test before surgery my oxygen level was up to 97% !!! I did have the lapband surgery, along with an unexpectedly large hiatal hernia repair; however I had to spend the night in the hospital and part of the next day because they couldn't get my oxygen levels back up (it was supposed to be in/out surgery). Actually the anesthesiologist (sp) mentioned several times to my surgeon before the surgery that all his sleep apnea patients wind up overnighting because of the blood oxygen issue ... but my surgeon seemed to not be buying it ... which calmed me down because I expected to go home that day. Anyway, after all that, I've now lost almost 40#, still using my machine, and feeling a lot, lot better (including well rested). Good luck to you and God Bless. Judy G.