After waiting for my blood tests results they came yesterday followed by a call from the hospital. Some how i have no idea i have developed Severe sleep apnea. My new hip operation has been put back until my treatment has run for 6 weeks. To say i am gutted and upset is putting it lightly. The pre op check for my hip lasted twice as long, i did wonder why, i now know the answer . Apparently someone died while having an operation,they had Sleep apnea .I know that they are being cautious and its the right thing to do but it does not stop my feeling terrible about my hip. I had no idea i had it. Just sometimes had a little nap in the day. Plus my husband tells me i dont snore through the night ! I now have to wait for an app for the sleep clinic and start from scratch. I should have said that it was discovered after me doing the overnight test. Does anyone have any experience with this ? I would be most grateful for any info as this is totally new to me. I am stunned and can not get my head around it yet! This time last year my other hip op was cancelled because of a tiny scar on my hip but my consultant wont even touch this one until i can get my symptoms under control with a Cpaps machine .
So upset.: After waiting for my blood tests results... - PMRGCAuk
So upset.
Oh hard luck - but really, it is so much better to be safe during an op so you can understand them.
"I should have said that it was discovered after me doing the overnight test." - sorry, what overnight test?
You are on a monitor all night , it measures your oxygen levels.The monitor is strapped to your chest and a probe on your finger.It tells them how many times you stop breathing! In my case I am stunned, I did not have a clue .So it's back to waiting for my THR until they can rectify my current problem .😞
I went to a private sleep clinic because of severe and persistent insomnia. They did the overnight test and diagnosed sleep apnoea, but I didn’t have any of the symptoms. I started on the CPAP machine and it just made my insomnia much worse. They then treated that with CBT which also made my insomnia worse !
To cut a long story short, I went to a new sleep coach recently who said that she believes that sleep apnoea is massively over diagnosed and she was sure I didn’t have it. I still can’t use a CPAP machine, still don’t have any relevant symptoms and still have insomnia!
I don’t know if this is at all helpful, but I do sympathise with your predicament, especially as I had a very hard time getting a surgeon to give me my new hips and knees.
Thank you , I really am stunned like you I have no symptoms. The Pre Assessment nurse told me that a person had died because it was not picked up ! It's all very strange as I had my first THR almost a year ago and there was no mention of it then ! I now have to do 6 weeks on a mask before they can do anything !
Hi Viv 😊
Just to say I’m sorry to hear your news and I totally get how upset you are. I waited years for a knee replacement and was almost immobile by the time I had it ( I was caring for my mum and putting it off so it was at least partly my fault). Then, when I finally did get a pre-op, they discovered a heart murmur, later diagnosed as atrial fibrillation. To say I was shocked and upset was as you say an understatement! I was in fact distraught 🥹
However. What they found was treated with medication and eventually an ablation, and I don’t think the knee operation would have been as safe without the diagnosis. So while I absolutely understand your distress, I hope you will eventually feel that it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to procedures under general anaesthetic. ( I did take me some time to accept this!)
Sending you every good wish and hope it all gets sorted soon xx
Thank you so much, yes I'm stunned but as you say better to be safe than sorry , I'm starting to let the idea sink in .I suppose I just have to go with the treatment that will lead to my hip operation.It's nice when your on the same page as someone else xx💕
Good luck Viv 😊 My knee op was one of the best things I’ve ever had- and I’m sure you’ll know the benefits from your first hip op. It’s so frustrating but really valuable and important to get it right xx
Absolutely😊
That’s a b&££er - but better safe than sorry… and hopefully you won’t have to wait too long for surgery.
Thank you fingers crossed👍
My sister just had her hip op with an epidural anaesthetic, not general .... would it be worth asking about this? I understand that this is now quite usual for more vulnerable patients who might be at risk under a general. And she was totally unware during the procedure!
Hi and thank you , yes looks like this may be an option when they sort out my breathing . I did have a general but if i have to i will have an epidural, just like your sister i dont want to be aware !
Most patients have a spinal anaesthetic instead of a general anaesthetic for hip and knee replacements. It is a very useful way to do it as it gives good pain relief immediately after the surgery by blocking all the nerves to the legs. It avoids nausea in vomiting in patients who are prone to that and is preferred for some people with particular medical conditions. It is a very nice technique and most patients are happy with it.
Hi are you speaking from a personal experience? I really am interested as my last hip was done under a general.I don't mind the thought but I would want to have a sedative. But to be honest I'm in so much pain now i.just want it done .Thanks for your reply .
I haven't had a spinal for a hip replacement but I have had one 3 times: once for a c-section, once to have metalwork inserted in a mangled knee and tib/fib fracture and once to have it removed 15 months later.
The insertion of the metalwork was done in Italy and I was fully conscious all the way through - I was perfectly happy about that but not entirely sure if that is the usual practice there or not, they do tend to be quite sparing on sedation for many procedures where you would be sedated in the UK. There were 4 anaesthetists in and out during the whole thing - all wanted to practice their English with me!! Had I wanted some sedation, it would have been possible. I had been provided with headphones to listen to music but never got round to it!
The following year it was removed, this time in Scotland. I requested a spinal anaesthetic when it was apparent they were intending using GA. The anaesthetist looked surprised I wanted it but said it was no problem - I explained I'd had it put in with a spinal and did prefer the post-op recovery. However - I was given sedation and slept through the entire thing, much to my disgust! So even with a spinal - you won't know what is going on, you will just have a far lighter sedation because it doesn't have to achieve pain relief, the spinal does that. As a result you are immediately awake and I found there was no nausea or the common bleugh feeling.
It is far better for older patients - which we have to acknowledge we are now!
Thanks that is so reassuring, I've been to the sleep clinic today I'm lying here with the mask on .Trying to get used to it ! They tell me it should take 6 weeks to get me to the right stage ready for my hip to be done. Just a question of persevering with it .Take care and thanks.Will keep you all posted .
My knee was fine under spinal -no problem is you ignore the sawing and hammering accompaniment!
When I had hip I asked about spinal, but surgeon preferred GA (whether than was his choice or because it was in private hospital but fund by NHS) I know not.
Shoulder -GA
Will defiantly have to have ear plugs in .Thanks for telling me .Will keep you posted how things are going .
You usually listen to music, and are a bit drowsy anyway…
It is not the surgeon's preference to say what type of anaesthetic he/she prefers.. He/she is a surgeon, not an anaesthetist. The anaesthetist will tailor every single patient's anaesthetic as the safest option for the patient. An Anaesthetist would not try to tell the surgeon what size hip or knee to implant. So please, ask your anaesthetist.
Did you mean to reply to me - I’m not waiting for a replacement - I was explaining what had happened previously.
Sorry my mistake , I was replying to emersee🙄
I was replying to emersee - think it was meant for you anyway..
Thank you ,I'm just apprehensive about the noise and banging !.Hope the sedative is strong enough!
I explain it to patients that the noise and banging is another step in getting closer to having a wonderful, new joint. Even if you hear it you won't feel anything. You can ask for a little sedation - that's all it is sedation that lasts for a little while and it is not a general anaesthetic. You will feel well afterwards and have a new joint!!
yes, but we were thrilled when my husband was diagnosed with sleep apnoea! He had always tossed & turned and sometimes snored. The CPAP machine altered his life…& mine. Both of us able to get more peace at nights. He used to stop breathing, then wake up with a sudden start…which woke me, too! He had an operation on his nose, & gave them all a shock in the hospital operating theatre, & we have to tell this to everybody when he needs surgery. His surgery since then was done with a spinal block. It’s OK if they know it’s an issue, but I can understand them wanting to wait until you get your CPAP & are stabilised. I think he’s had the machine 30 years now…definitions well over 20.
I will ask more questions , i was so shocked to hear that i had it everything went out of my head went out of my head. I will find out more when i get my appointment. Thanks its good to read something positive about it .
For us it wasn’t like having a illness. David never felt sick, but sometimes felt he hadn’t had a good nights sleep. Now he has aCPAP machine and sleeps like a baby!! You should do, too! S x
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