“Is anesthesia risky for a COPD patient?”
My father is a COPD patient. He is having surgery done in about 3 weeks and will be under anesthesia. Is this safe?
5 Answers
There is usually no serious problem with anesthesia for patients with COPD as long as they are followed and treated by an internist.
COPD carries a higher risk than for healthy patients, but we get these people through their surgery safely.
There are risks for COPD patients. But your anesthesiologist will be well equipped to handle any issues that may arise and knows how to adjust things for his condition. We put people with COPD under anesthesia every day and rarely are there any problems. Don't worry too much, just be there for your dad.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increases risk under anesthesia. Much depends on the severity of the condition and the extent of the surgery. Anesthesiologists work to assure that the condition is treated as well as possible and that supplemental treatments are given before and after surgery if needed. Many patients with COPD undergo surgery every day successfully.
Pulmonary function will be a problem if he is having an abdominal or thoracic procedure. Otherwise, he should do fine.
