Very frustrated/Getting Bipap Precertified

Need to rant so if you don't want negativity, this is not your thread.

Just called pre surgical admitting in preparation for my 3/19 septoplasty

49er - How do I get my machine certified ahead of time so it is ready to go in recovery room.
Woman I am speaking with - "We don't want you to bring you your machine because otherwise, the RT would have to deal with 1000 machines. Sound familiar?
49er - I was told by anesthesiologist to bring my own machine
Woman - Oh really? Then she says something like I am going to have to get it certified on the day of the surgery.
My response - I am concerned that would take way too long and cause a holdup as I need that machine in the recovery room immediately.
Woman - Well, we deal with sleep apnea patients all the time. I will transfer you to pre-op to find out how to go about this.

What I wanted to say - Actions speak louder than words and so far, all you are doing is putting roadblocks in my face which is not a nice thing to do to someone who is having surgery next week. Stop saying you deal with sleep apnea patients all the time and prove it with actions that facilitate the process and doesn't put roadblocks in my face.

Preop woman had no clue and when I started getting very frustrated in having to play find the right person, she agreed she would try to find out where to send me.

I tell you, it is about hospital convenience, and not patient comfort and well being. Very frustrating.

Thanks for listening.

49er

PS - If I continue to feel I am hitting roadblocks, I will the surgeon's administrative assistant and ask for help in resolving this.

What kind of surgery are you having?

49er wrote:Need to rant so if you don't want negativity, this is not your thread.

Sometimes you need to rant. This is one of those times.

PS - If I continue to feel I am hitting roadblocks, I will the surgeon's administrative assistant and ask for help in resolving this.

I'd suggest going ahead and contacting the anesthesiologist who told you to bring your own machine and let him/her know about the run around you've been getting from the hospital. Perhaps his office could get the hospital to be a bit more cooperative.

Sleep2Die4 wrote:What kind of surgery are you having?

Thanks for asking.

Septoplasty/Turbinate Reduction/Nasal Valve Repair. Surgeon said if I used the Full Face/Fit Life Mask, I could use the machine right away. Otherwise, I would have to wait a week which I didn't want to do.

robysue wrote:

49er wrote:Need to rant so if you don't want negativity, this is not your thread.

Sometimes you need to rant. This is one of those times.

PS - If I continue to feel I am hitting roadblocks, I will the surgeon's administrative assistant and ask for help in resolving this.

I'd suggest going ahead and contacting the anesthesiologist who told you to bring your own machine and let him/her know about the run around you've been getting from the hospital. Perhaps his office could get the hospital to be a bit more cooperative.

Great idea and since I need to speak to these folks anyway, I will kill two birds with one stone. Thanks RobySue for listening and providing your usual great suggestions.

As you are discovering, the entire medical establishment is organized to maximize the convenience AND PROFITS of the members of said establishment.

The well being of patients is barely considered at all.

SleepDisturbed wrote:As you are discovering, the entire medical establishment is organized to maximize the convenience AND PROFITS of the members of said establishment.

The well being of patients is barely considered at all.

Definitely SleepDisturbed.

Anyway, just left a message with the anesthesiology department secretary about my concerns thanks to Roby Sue's excellent suggestion so stay tuned.

Also, some hospitals have a "patient advocate" office. I have dealt with a few of these and some helped me a bit.

However, I think you are moving the right direction. Mostly I have found that only doctors can get much done, so getting the surgeon or anathesiologist on your side will probably work.

49er wrote:

SleepDisturbed wrote:As you are discovering, the entire medical establishment is organized to maximize the convenience AND PROFITS of the members of said establishment.

The well being of patients is barely considered at all.

Definitely SleepDisturbed.

Anyway, just left a message with the anesthesiology department secretary about my concerns thanks to Roby Sue's excellent suggestion so stay tuned.

Is duck-tape a Canadian invention? We have it all over the place here!!!! I would "duck-tape" my machine to my chest and simply show up. This would be funny if it appeared on the six o'clock news!

49er wrote:

Sleep2Die4 wrote:What kind of surgery are you having?

Thanks for asking.

Septoplasty/Turbinate Reduction/Nasal Valve Repair. Surgeon said if I used the Full Face/Fit Life Mask, I could use the machine right away. Otherwise, I would have to wait a week which I didn't want to do.

You may be stressing yourself too much over the CPAP. I have had four orthopedic surgeries and a Septoplasty/Turbinate Reduction all under general anesthesia and two colonoscopies with propofol. I have severe OSA and my CPAP was not used in any of these and I felt fine after awakening in the recovery rooms. They kept a close check on me in recovery and kept me breathing. If I had many apneas, I would have felt poorly when awakening.

But I did have my CPAP with me in case complications put me in the hospital overnight.

BTW, what is a

Nasal Valve

?

All this time and I did not know I had one.

49er....How many months/years did you procrastinate about using your CPAP regularly before you became a believer? I agree with sleepy about the care you should receive in recovery.

49er,

Per Robysue, arrange for the anesthesiologist to write an order that your CPAP machine be used in recovery. Mine did and everybody clicked their heels and saluted. No problems.

Don't give up.

Cheers.

SleepDisturbed wrote:As you are discovering, the entire medical establishment is organized to maximize the convenience AND PROFITS of the members of said establishment.

The well being of patients is barely considered at all.

SMH on behalf of all the great doctors, nurses and other medical professionals I have known.

Maybe you should go homeopathic.

At the hospital I work at the only certification you need to use devices from home comes from the maintenance department. They inspect the cord and determine if it's safe or not then put a sticker on it. Obviously on recovery you'll need the medical and nursing staff on board, but if anesthesiology is already on board, that doesn't sound like an issue. Maybe call the hospital's main switch board and ask to speak with someone in maintenance?