Im having knee joint replacement surgery 02/19/07. I am going to be in the hospital after surgery for 5 days and then i will be transferred to a rehab-facility for 7 days. One of the questions i asked the surgeon at my pre-op appointment was about using the c-pap during this period. The doctor seemed perplexed and told me to go ahead and take it to the hospital and then ask them then. So what i would like to know is if you would be so kind any experiences that any of you have had with a similiar situation. Both good and not so good. I thank you...
Wlecome to Apnea Board, gowen.
I've used my AutoPAP in hotel rooms and on cruise ships with no problems. I presume you could use your CPAP in the hospital and in rehab.
However, I am of the opinion that your surgeon may have given you some bad advice. Most hospitals are very particular about devices that are plugged into their electrical systems, and I certainly wouldn't waltz in with my own medical equipment and expect to be able to use it without their approval.
I strongly suggest that you phone both the hospital and the rehab center, and clear the use of your CPAP prior to your surgery. You may wish to have the make and model of your machine handy in case they need to verify a UL certification or for some similar purpose.
I think that oversight of your postoperative care is the responsibility of the surgeon, and that includes coordination of concurrent therapies such as CPAP. If the doctor was less than certain, he or she should have verified this information for you. Sadly, this is just another example of a patient being given "the bum's rush" in an effort to push them through the system with as little impact as possible on a busy physician's schedule.
Good luck with your surgery, and let us know how it goes!
Carl
Carl; Today i got a call from the surgeon's office. They checked with both the hospital and the rehab facility and both agree that i should bring my c-pap. I also want to thank you for taking the time to respond to my post. I will reply back when i get out of rehab. Im sure i will have a few new experiences expecially in the rehab facility. Once again i thank you.
You're welcome! We're here to help each other.
I'll look forward to your update.
Carl