Perioperative Sleep Apnea Concerns

Patients with sleep apnea have a difficult time breathing while sleeping. Apnea is a Greek word that means “without breath”. For patients with sleep apnea there can be several causes and it is important to consult with a physician to get sleep apnea identified. Sleep apnea makes the patient stop breathing for more than ten seconds at a time and can be caused by interrupted brain signals that control breathing, or by the muscles in the throat relaxing and the airway becoming constricted.

Sleep apnea can be difficult to diagnose as many patients don’t realize that their symptoms may be the cause of a condition. Symptoms of sleep apnea include daytime drowsiness, snoring, headaches and even a sore throat in the morning. Many of these complaints may be considered temporary or not even noticed by a patient.

For patients considering surgery, it is very important if they have sleep apnea to discuss the dangers with their doctor. Perioperative sleep apnea can be a critical problem for anesthesiologists to deal with and they need to be made aware if sleep apnea is a concern.

Finding Out If A Patient Is At Risk For Perioperative Sleep Apnea

A questionnaire needs to be completed by patients, in order to evaluate their risk. An anesthesiologist will conduct an interview with the patient to see if there are any possible risk factors for perioperative sleep apnea.

Perioperative sleep apnea can be a huge problem during surgery, because when the patient is put to sleep the muscles in the throat relax, causing this condition to occur. If there is any concern in regards to sleep apnea this can be closely monitored to avoid complications from this disorder.

A patient at risk will also need to be closely monitored after surgery, to make sure their throat doesn’t swell and make them stop breathing. A Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machine may be used to keep the airway open. This machine pumps oxygen straight into the airways through a mask that is placed over the patient’s nose. The constant pressure keeps the airway open and oxygen flowing appropriately.

If a patient does have some signs that perioperative sleep apnea will be an issue, the proper medical responses can be put into place to prevent any problems during surgery.