The perioperative implications of the patient with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - a narrative review

The prevalence of obesity and OSA are increasing world-wide. Concomitantly, the number of surgical procedures being performed in an outpatient setting is increasing. Both the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) and the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine (SASM) have published guidelines for the perioperative care of the OSA patient. These guidelines were published in 2014 and 2016, respectively. While they serve as an excellent resource for the perioperative management of the OSA patient, the increasing number of obese, OSA patients having procedures performed in the ambulatory setting call into question the feasibility of some of these recommendations in 2024. This review highlights the current recommendations as well as the challenges in caring for the OSA patient in the perioperative setting.