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Post surgery?
I had my tonsils removed today and extra skin removed from my sinuses. Can I still use my CPAP machine? The procedure was done for tonsillar hypertrophy would using CPAP cause an issue?
6 Answers
Extra skin removed from your sinuses? You mean you had sinus surgery to open up your sinus cavities?
You should not use your CPAP for at least a week after tonsillectomy or sinus surgery. This can dry out the nasal cavities and the back of the throat and make you more likely to have a post operative bleed.
Consult with Surgeon and specialist who prescribed CPAP.
There are many reasons patients may have sleep apnea. Issues such as obesity, enlarged tonsils/adenoids, and even enlarged tongues can cause severe sleep apnea. Since there was a certain amount of alteration to your upper airway as a result of surgery, you will need a titration of your CPAP in order to ensure you are getting the support you need while you sleep. Let me also congratulate you on using a CPAP machine. Sleep apnea is a serious issue and many people who have it won't even consider a study let alone treatment. Severe sleep apnea that goes untreated can increase your risk for heart attack, stroke, dementia and even cancer. Keep using that CPAP, but get the titration study done along with a thumbs up of your ENT. Good luck!
Should be able to use CPAP if there were no bleeding complications. You may not require CPAP once your swelling resolves, given the "extra" tissue resected.
Yes, you should still use your CPAP. I always tell me sleep apnea patients that they must assume, as do I, that they still have persistent sleep apnea, even after upper airway surgery, until a polysomnogram (sleep study) is done.
I know of another doctor's patient who died of sleep apnea complications from NOT resuming CPAP after tonsillectomy.
You need to call the provider who did the procedure or call the outpatient desk where you went for the proceedure