Upcoming endoscopic surgery and CPAP
Hello,
Next month I will be undergoing endoscopic transphenoidal surgery to remove a neoplasm on my pituitary gland. Afterwards my nostrils will have stents and will be packed. Among the recovery instructions I was given was not to do anything that places even minimal pressure on my sinuses, including something seemingly innocuous like sucking liquid through a straw and I must never allow myself to sneeze. It seems obvious enough that I won't be able to use CPAP until some duration after the surgery as pressure on the sinuses could be detrimental until everything has healed. Has anyone else had surgery that involved packing of the nostrils where pressure could cause complications?
I also ask about how do I obtain a compliance exception? I will be in the hospital for 7-10 days after surgery to monitor for spinal fluid leaks from my nose and just 10 days of not using CPAP makes me non-compliant technically. Do I call the DME to obtain exception? The insurance company? The ENT surgeon? The hospital? How do I navigate the red tape to make sure I won't be considered non-compliant since I won't really have a choice? Right now I am 100% compliant and never sleep without CPAP.
I forgot to ask this of the ENT surgeon beforehand but I did write down on the paperwork that I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea and that I was on CPAP with my pressure setting. I'll call their office before surgery to see what they say but I wanted to hear from others about experiences.
Thanks.
Next month I will be undergoing endoscopic transphenoidal surgery to remove a neoplasm on my pituitary gland. Afterwards my nostrils will have stents and will be packed. Among the recovery instructions I was given was not to do anything that places even minimal pressure on my sinuses, including something seemingly innocuous like sucking liquid through a straw and I must never allow myself to sneeze. It seems obvious enough that I won't be able to use CPAP until some duration after the surgery as pressure on the sinuses could be detrimental until everything has healed. Has anyone else had surgery that involved packing of the nostrils where pressure could cause complications?
I also ask about how do I obtain a compliance exception? I will be in the hospital for 7-10 days after surgery to monitor for spinal fluid leaks from my nose and just 10 days of not using CPAP makes me non-compliant technically. Do I call the DME to obtain exception? The insurance company? The ENT surgeon? The hospital? How do I navigate the red tape to make sure I won't be considered non-compliant since I won't really have a choice? Right now I am 100% compliant and never sleep without CPAP.
I forgot to ask this of the ENT surgeon beforehand but I did write down on the paperwork that I have Obstructive Sleep Apnea and that I was on CPAP with my pressure setting. I'll call their office before surgery to see what they say but I wanted to hear from others about experiences.
Thanks.
