Do Sleep Apnoea Patients Need Special Care After Surgery?

Sleep apnoea can lead to a lot of unpleasant signs and symptoms such as loud snoring, chocking, gasping, increased daytime sleepiness, sore throat, headaches, restlessness, insomnia, frequent urination and other problems. This is why sleep apnoea needs to be treated as soon as possible. If minimally invasive treatments do not work for you, you may be a candidate for surgery. Surgery often increases the size of the airways thus stopping sleep apnoea episodes. The doctor may also remove obstructing structures such as tonsils, adenoids or excess tissue. However, is surgery for sleep apnoea safe?

Experts say that one factor we have to consider are the medical problems brought about by long-term sleep apnoea, which can affect the post-operative patient. Sleep apnoea can give rise to complications such as lung and breathing problems after surgery. This may be due to the fact that sleep apnoea can bring about pauses in breathing during sleep, thus leading to hypoxemia. Other patients who may need special care are those who are diabetics or with cardiovascular illnesses exacerbated by sleep apnoea.

Another factor which may determine risk after sleep apnoea surgery is the type of anesthesia used. Regional anesthesia (anesthesia that affects one area of the body) may be favorable over general anesthesia (anesthesia that makes you unconscious).  

Indeed further research is needed to answer the question on who needs special care after sleep apnoea surgery. Research on this matter is badly needed so that doctors will know what type of patients need extra care after surgery and what type of patients they should closely monitor.

More of this matter is written in an article published in the June 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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http://www.livescience.com/37575-sleep-apnoea-surgery-complications.html

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