Anesthesiologist Questions Anesthesia

I have sleep apnea and am scheduled for an upcoming surgery. Are there any risks?

I am a 33 year old male with sleep apnea. In two weeks, I am having surgery on my knee (an old sports injury) and I will need to be under general anesthesia. Will the anesthesia be a problem for me because of my sleep apnea?

1 Answer

AnesthesiologistAnesthesia
Thank you for your question. As there are several reasons for sleep apnea this should always be discussed with your anesthesiologist. The causes of sleep apnea also may be related to other medical conditions which may play a role in anesthetic selection. Since this is a knee surgery and typically requires general anesthesia, although the sleep apnea typically does not directly affect the anesthesia, depending on the severity of it, and if due to an uncorrected anatomical airway obstruction it is something as an anesthesiologist would want to be aware of and take precautions for if warranted. Otherwise typically the diagnosis of sleep apnea alone is not a concern.