ABSTRACT
The post-operative management of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has attracted a great deal of attention and comment over past years. Much of this discussion and debate has to do with what the appropriate treatment guidelines should be for these patients in the immediate post-operative period. Several authors have argued that these patients are extremely susceptible to severe post-operative morbidity and mortality and therefore should be monitored routinely in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting during the initial post-operative period. Much of the support for this philosophy stems from published experiences documenting major catastrophic complications, including deaths, in these patients following surgery. Additionally, OSA patients have a high incidence of comorbid conditions (hypertension, arrhythmias, pulmonary disease) that must be addressed in the post-operative setting, and considered in the planning for post-operative care.
