Has anyone with MAC & Bronchiectasis had cataract surgery?
I was scheduled for cataract surgery today, but it was canceled. I had already been prepped and given the sedation, but when the table was lowered so that I was flat on my back I started coughing. I need advice on what to do so that if I reschedule the surgery this won't happen again. It often happens at the dentist office.
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Oh dear. What a let down when you were mentally prepared to have the surgery. I have bronchiectasis and had cataract surgery (in 1 eye) in March. To help control coughing during the procedure I cleared my lungs as much as possible before the surgery (mucinex 1200mg, albuterol inhaler, and then 2 vials of 7% saline via nebulizer, airway clearance). Make sure to lie flat during airway clearance! I think I also took a cough suppressant (tessalon pearl). You can also take robitussin OTC without the decongestant. This helped a lot but I have to say once I lie flat I started to cough! While I waited for the surgeon I did some huff coughs. I was given through IV midazolam for supposed light sedation but I don't remember a thing. It really knocked me out and must have stopped the coughing as they said all went well.
Did you speak with your surgeon and/or pulmonologist about your bronchiectasis and coughing prior to surgery?
@ mjb39 How disappointing! I had cataract surgery on both eyes last summer, and told the doctor beforehand and the anesthesiologist the day of surgery about coughing when lying flat. They repositioned me before surgery to about 30% and everything went fine.
I had double surgery last summer, one week apart. I informed the team of my coughing and made sure I did not do airway clearance before the procedure because, in my case anyway, that only made matters worse. The surgery went well and I did airway clearance after the surgery. Everything went very well and I can now see so much better!
I need to find a surgeon who won't insist on flat. When I got on the table, the person getting me ready laid the table flat and I started coughing. She sat it up a little and I stopped, but when they started to do the surgery they put it flat again and I started coughing again.
I didn't do airway clearance before I went this time, because it was so early. Using the saline solution and air way clearance doesn't ususally work very well for me until 8:00 a.m. or after. I can feel the stuff in my sinuses and my chest start to move after I have been up for a little while and that is the most productive time for me to do my routine.
Thanks for the comments and suggestions that I have received.
I find the same thing. Air way clearance would not work for me until 9:30 or 10 am. It is as if the mucus develops from the time I get up until then. And even then the clearance does not start until after the nebulizing is done and I start with the Aerobika and positions half hour later. I think trying to do clearance first thing in the am would work better if people waited until it "ripened".
Ask your doctors if you can take hydrocodone/homatropene an hour or so before surgery. I take it when I am having a rough time, and always before surgery. It calms everything down for a few hours, at least for me.
This is such good information. I am due for a cataract surgery soon.
Thank you so much. I will definitely ask about that.