The Risks of Anesthesia in Sleep Apnea Patients
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you need to be aware of the risks of anesthesia. While there are many real and potentially serious concerns, the negative effects of anesthesia can be minimized or even eliminated with the proper procedures and careful monitoring.
What Should I Do?
If you need surgery, it's important to make sure that the anesthesiologist is aware of your condition. Certain precautionary measures would have to be taken to insure that breathing difficulties will not jeopardize your time under anesthesia. In obstructive sleep apnea, the throat muscles relax, thereby closing or narrowing the airway. This, in turn, interrupts the normal flow of oxygen to the lungs, which affects the brain. The brain will sense the diminished oxygen and will signal to the sleeper to wake up. However, when a person is under anesthesia, this is not possible. Besides not being able to be wakened during a sleep apnea incident, the presence of anesthesia actually contributes to more frequents occurrences of interrupted breathing spells. When the anesthesiologist understands that the patient suffers from sleep apnea, special care will be taken to keep the airways open. Intense monitoring will be done, both in surgery and in the recovery room.
Since the effects of anesthesia can linger for hours after the surgical procedure, diligent care must extend to the sleep apnea patient during this time. A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine may be used to make sure the airways remain open for an even and continuous flow of oxygen. Usually, once the body metabolizes the medications that were administered for surgery, the immediate breathing dangers pass. In severe cases, however, mechanical ventilation may be provided, but this is rare.
Should I Cancel My Surgery?
There is no need to cancel needed surgery because of the potentially negative effects of anesthesia on your sleep apnea condition. But it's vital to let all the medical personnel know that you have this disorder. By doing this, you will give your medical team the time they need to set up a plan for monitoring you during surgery and the critical time immediately afterward.
It should be noted that many times people are not aware that they have sleep apnea, which can cause complications in surgery. If you are not sure you have this condition, or if you suspect that you do, a few simple questions may lead you to an answer. Do you snore? Do you feel tired and groggy in the mornings? Do you fall asleep during the day? If you can answer "yes" to these questions, perhaps you should speak to your doctor about the possibility of sleep apnea. Diagnosing sleep apnea before having anesthesia is a crucial first step to your total recovery.
