Question:
If you need a CPAP to sleep, how do you breath during surgery?

I need a CPAP to sleep. How do you make it through the surgery without a CPAP? Please tell me your story!    — jimgarrison (posted on February 13, 2003)

February 13, 2003
You are intubated during surgery. A tube is inserted down your trachea to keep the airway open and this tube is hooked up to O2 during the procedure and while you are still asleep in recovery. Depending on how you are breathing, they will take the tube out at some point while you are in the recovery room. Sometimes, you may remain intubated and on a ventilator for a short period of time...JR (open RNY 07/17 -152 lbs - on CPAP since 1992 - repeat sleep study scheduled 03/03 - hopefully will be off of it soon!)
   — John Rushton

February 13, 2003
Yes,you are intubated during surgery. Because I had sleep apnea, I was sent to Intensive Care for the first night. Oxygen was hooked up to my CPAP since the monitor showed that I wasn't getting enough oxygen. Be sure to take your CPAP with you to the hospital. Being intubated during surgery made my throat very, very sore. It took over a week before my throat felt normal.
   — Sharon M.

February 13, 2003
Before you take your CPAP to the hospital, ask your surgeon about it. Mine absolutely did NOT want me to use it in the hospital. I'm hoping to get rid of mine soon, but just had another sleep study a couple of weeks ago and they say I still need to be using it. Drat and double drat!!!!!
   — garw

February 15, 2003
My surgeon also did not want me to be on my BiPAP machine during or after surgery. I'm 11 days post-op and still am not back on it, by his choice, although I'm not having any problems. My pressures are quite high also. <p>During surgery I was controlled by the anesthesia machine. When I woke up the tube was out and went to my regular room within 45 minutes of surgery. I was lucky I never had a sore throat. I was warned if I had any breathing problems I could wake up on a vent and possibly spend some time in ICU but wasn't the case for me. So sleep apnea doesn't necessarily mean anything different for you of any consequence. But the good part is knowing it ahead of time gives everyone a heads up to watch for problems. The whole time I was in the hospital I only had to have a low level of oxygen through a nasal cannula when sleeping. That kept my level above 90 and they were happy with that.
   — zoedogcbr