Question:
What's the relationship between sleep apnea & anesthesia.

A good friend of mine is planning on surgery with BTC/Michigan like I am. She found out after 2 sleep studies she has sleep apnea. She was told that one of the main reasons for diagnosing this (she's already approved for surgery) is that it's possible she could wake up during surgery if the sleep apnea isn't factored in to the anesthesia. What's the connection?    — scottiemaam O. (posted on July 23, 2001)

July 23, 2001
Goodness. I am only 4 weeks post-op and glad I did not know this information! Two sleep studies showed my sleep apnea and I had (and have to for six more months) to sleep with a c-pap machine. My oxygen levels in my blood were low enough that they had to do a second sleep study after I had been on the machine for months, to see if I could even have my surgery. Sleep apnea effects the healing process, is what I was told. As for the anesthesia itself? I do not know. Then there is also Pickwickian Syndrome, the extreme of sleep apnea...which can become fatal, because the oxygen to your major organs gets strangled off. (this is how my Dr. explained it to me) I feel extrememly grateful to have my surgery behind me now. Maybe I can be rid of some of these comorbids.
   — Barbara B.

July 24, 2001
Oh my God. That would be scarry waking up during the surgery. I actually heard the very opposite though. I was told by a slim girl that just happened to have sleep apnea that she had some sort of surgery and although she could hear the nurses and buzzers going off after surgery...she couldn't wake up. My Pulmonary Dr said that's absolutely right. You see the anestesia relaxes you and you sleep very soundly...if you have sleep apnea and you stop breathing and you can't wake up to start breathing, you're in big trouble.
   — Kristin R.