Help Re: Sleep Apnea BEFORE surgery...CPAP?

Hi Everyone!

So I have a situation. My friend and I are getting the surgery on the same day (9/14) by the same surgeon. I know, we got lucky. The problem is that she was JUST diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and supposedly needs to get a CPAP machine even though surgery is less than one month away.

In the seminar, our surgeon had said that sleep apnea goes away in over 90% of the surgeries his group has performed almost immediately. BUT on the paperwork we recieved from the surgeon it said to "bring your CPAP machine" to the surgery and to "make sure you have been using it for the preceding 2 months".. Uh Oh. She is avoiding calling the surgeon to ask about this because she doesn't want it to cancel her surgery until two months from when she gets the machine. She is thinking to buy it and just take it to the surgery and "pretend" that she has been using it.

What are your thoughts? Does anyone have experience with this? It seems like such a waste of hundreds of dollars to get a machine that you will most likely only use for a few weeks...And I do want her to have surgery with me but I more importantly really want her to be healthy and not at risk of anything by lying. Does anyone have experience in this department?

Thanks for reading and possibly responding!

 My surgeon wanted me on mine for a month before the surgery. But I had told him that I needed the surgery over the summer due to my work schedule and he didn't hold me up even though with all the insurance red tape I had trouble getting my machine before the surgery. 

I have it now, and hope I can get rid of it when they analyze my data next. 

A couple of things---
----First, sleep apnea is very dangerous (deadly to a relative of mine who didn't use his machine). I would go for the machine---allot of ins companies pay a large portion of it.
----Second, they snapped that mask on as soon as I woke up in recovery. No machine = no surgery for me.
----Third, since she was just diagnosed and the date has been set, I wouldn't think the 2 months is a problem but I would check with the surgeon asap.
----Finally, I hope she will be in that 90% that can dump the machine. I hope that someday I can too but my Dr. isn't very positive about it. Weight can be a cause and/or an aggravator. There are physical reasons other than weight that can cause it. In my case, I'll probably be able to reduce the setting and maybe even change mask-types but get rid of the machine....????

Really nice to be able to do this with a friend. Good luck.

 I've been on my CPAP machine for 3 years.....I actually have come to love it and told my Sleep Dr. it will be sad when I have to say goodbye to it. It's really helped me to sleep. I have been through two surgeries and yes, they slap it on as you are waking up. They want you to get that air. It's good for you. She should get used to it now....she actually will find she will be sleeping better with it immediately. 

I also have sleep apnea and my doctor never mentioned me using the machine prior to surgery. However, the hospital did want to know what the setting was on my CPAP machine. I was supposed to bring that to the hospital, but I forgot.Honestly , i had not used my machine in awhile. i know I should have, but i hated it. That is one the reasons I got  VSG. So that I would hopefully get rid of my Sleep Apnea.

If your friend has sleep apnea and doesn't use a CPAP, there is a very real possibility that she won't live another month!

Of course, that depends on how severe of a case of sleep apnea she has etc. But don't play around with it. If surgery has to be postponed - deal with it.

I would just let the Doc know it will only be one month. Am I right in thinking all cpaps have a memory card in them? So, I don't think she should lie about it.
It is not something to mess around with.

I just got diagnosed with sleep apnea a couple weeks ago. my surgery is in 2 days. the pulmonary lady awnted me on cpapp, but she said since surgery is in a week, she wasnt gonna bother and id have to have another sleep study 2 months after surgery, and if it was still there, i would need to get a cpapp machine.

i guess it depends on how bad it is.. they said mine was only moderate. if you have more severe sleep apnea, the machine may be a good diea. id suggest asking the surgeon.

Dr. Taller is my surgeon and I was diagnosed with sleep apnea a month before my surgery.   I called Dr. Taller and he asked me to fax the results to his office and asked that I not use the machine.  I had a successul surgery on 7/27 and spent $150 on a brand new sleep apnea machine that I don't need.

Please tell your friend to be honest with Dr. Taller's office.  As a surgeon, he needs to know how to address a situation if it comes up.  

Good Luck!

I had terrible sleep apnea and did not use my machine as much as I should have - and hey, I'm still here!
I don't see paying for that machine for a lousy couple of months. 
Also - I brought my machine to the hospital (as directed) and was having problems getting enough oxygon in - so the nurse set up the machine and it did NOTHING to help. 
I asked my friend if it sounded any better since the surgery, he said it was better, but I still had it.  I might hook it up again, but I'm not desperate about it.