Thyroidectomy and NO CPAP for ...how long?

[MAPnea]

I'm scheduled for thyroid surgery and my surgeon said I won't be able to use CPAP therapy for 2-3 days after surgery. Anyone else had a similar procedure and instructions not to use your CPAP after surgery? If so, how many days? Thanks!

[trish6hundred]

Hi MAPnea,
Good to hear from you again.
I don’t know the answer to your question.
I wish you good luck with your thyroid surgery.

[DariaVader]

I'm scheduled for thyroid surgery and my surgeon said I won't be able to use CPAP therapy for 2-3 days after surgery. Anyone else had a similar procedure and instructions not to use your CPAP after surgery? If so, how many days? Thanks!

when i had mine out it was several days before i could sleep anyway but sitting up. get a comfy recliner ready, and one of those foam neck pillows (the lighter the better - the buckwheat ones are heavy on a freshly cut neck) I wasn't on cpap at the time, although I certainly should have been - so no instruction about that.

[PoolQ]

Personally I would do some test as to how vertical I need to be to sleep without CPAP. I can tell when my air is being restricted and I know I would need to be straight up vertical. You could put the CPAP on and try out a recliner, both reclined and upright, check how many events you have that it has to block. If upright how will you stay that way when asleep, straps? like a seatbelt? Figure out how to keep blankets up so you don't get cold. You don't want to have to figure this out right after you get home.

Make sure the surgical team knows you have apnea, don't assume they know and remember. Figure out a way to make sure the post surgical team knows also, spouse, friend, family, or look your doctor directly in the eyes before surgery and tell them to remember to tell the team. Then of course there is the recovery room. This all depends on what angle is okay for you to breathe easy.

[MAPnea]

Thanks, Trish6hundred, DariaVader and PoolQ, for your answers and support. What a great idea, PoolQ, to figure things out before I have my surgery! Because I live about 200 miles from the surgeon and the hospital where the surgery will be done, I plan to stay with friends between surgery and "post-op" doctor visit. Together we'll figure out what works for me. Thanks again. I feel reassured. Just the thought of not sleeping with CPAP is as scary as having surgery!

[DocWils]

If you friend has a Barka-lounger (correct spelling, please) then put some travel pillows around your neck and sleep on that at a minor recline. Otherwise, a chaise longue is your friend.

[truetopath]

Good luck with your surgery! I would find sleeping without cpap scary too.

[ddefendi]

I'm scheduled for thyroid surgery and my surgeon said I won't be able to use CPAP therapy for 2-3 days after surgery. Anyone else had a similar procedure and instructions not to use your CPAP after surgery? If so, how many days? Thanks!

I just had Thyroid surgery, 16 days ago on August 11, 2015... Removed the right lobe (very large cyst) and the isthmus (small nodule). (Everything turned out benign)...

ENT Surgeon did the surgery. He is also my Sleep Therapy doctor (I've only been on CPAP just over 80 days)...

Unlike your surgeon, he had me bring my cpap machine to the hospital.

I spent one night in hospital. Slept at about a 45 degree sitting up angle on my back angle and cpap worked fine.

Only had one bad night back at home (third night after surgery), lots of leaks, must have been restless.

Bottom Line.... Follow your Surgeon's advice....

Dennis

[stanleydean]

My Dr. cautioned me about CPAP use (full face mask) for 2 - 3 days following eye surgery. Sleeping in a recliner without CPAP was my solution.

[49er]

I'm scheduled for thyroid surgery and my surgeon said I won't be able to use CPAP therapy for 2-3 days after surgery. Anyone else had a similar procedure and instructions not to use your CPAP after surgery? If so, how many days? Thanks!

Hi MAPnea,

Have you asked him if this is applicable to all masks because he feels the pressure would cause problems with the surgical site? Would he be willing to let you use it if you reduced the pressure?

Just as an FYI, when I looked into having a septoplasty, all the surgeons had different policies on cpap use post surgery. So that is why you might want to ask the reasoning behind this policy, especially if not using it is going to cause great hardship. Maybe there is flexibility in his policy that you aren't aware of. Then again, there may not be but it doesn't hurt to ask as I learned when the ENT who did my surgery allowed me to use a Fit Life Full Face mask temporarily.

49er

PS - One ENT I dealt with in 2014 said he preferred that people stay off the cpap after 7 days but was willing to let his patients get back on after 4 days if they were desperate. I liked him alot but for various reasons, he couldn't do my surgery.

Anyway, that is why I feel it doesn't hurt to have these policies clarified.