What is the recommended postoperative management for a patient with obstructive sleep apnea to maintain airway patency?

• A. Consider restarting CPAP or NIV postoperatively to maintain airway patency
• B. Avoid CPAP to prevent airway pressure
• C. Use heavy sedation overnight
• D. Avoid airway support devices

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that restoring continuous positive airway pressure after surgery helps keep the airway open in someone with obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP or NIV acts like a keeps the pharyngeal airway splinted open, counteracting the loss of muscle tone from anesthesia and opioids and any postoperative edema. This reduces collapses, prevents desaturation, and lowers the risk of respiratory complications during the critical recovery period. Therefore, restarting CPAP or NIV postoperatively is the best approach to maintain airway patency. Avoiding CPAP would let obstruction recur, heavy sedation would worsen it, and skipping airway support devices would remove the protective effect entirely.