Can Sleep Apnea Interfere with Surgery?

If you have an upcoming surgery scheduled and you are concerned that you may have sleep apnea, you may be at risk. Undergoing a procedure that requires general anesthesia when you have obstructive sleep apnea can increase your risk during surgery. Not only are you more susceptible to problems during the procedure but it can also make it more difficult for you to wake up.

 How Do I Reduce My Risk During Surgery?

To reduce your risk of complication during surgery, you need to find out whether or not you have obstructive sleep apnea. You can make an appointment with Sleep & Neuroscience Associates, the leading sleep center in Connecticut, for a pre-operative sleep apnea screening. This screening includes a comprehensive risk assessment and exam and may include a sleep study to determine if you have obstructive sleep apnea. The pre-op evaluation will give you the information you need to minimize risk during surgery, providing your anesthesiologists with the information they need to best support you during surgery, and possibly even canceling a surgery if the risk is too high.

 Knowledge Is Power

 Necessary surgeries can still be performed if you have obstructive sleep apnea. The type of anesthesiologist involved in your surgery, however, may be more specialized. You may need more monitoring during and after surgery. Some surgeries may be reevaluated based on your risk assessment. It is important that you disclose your obstructive sleep apnea diagnosis to your surgeon and surgical team; if they are not aware of the risk going into the surgery, it could be very dangerous for you.

 No sure where to start? Proactive measures, such as taking our Snore Quiz and Epworth Sleepiness Scale Quiz, are a good first step for gauging your level of risk for sleep apnea.

 If you are at risk for OSA based on one of the quizzes, please contact our office or fill out this form to make an appointment as soon as possible. We will do everything we can to have you evaluated, diagnosed and treated (if needed) before your surgery.