Sleep Apnea Support Group

I had that but it progressed into Significant Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It took me a while to get used to the masks. The nasal pillows have been the most comfortable for me.

Have not heard of that particular procedure.

Blessings,
Faith

NO, I'm sorry I have not ever heard of it.

I read your post with interest. I have never heard of a procedure which stiffens the back of the throat. Will you explain this?
Thanks, with hopes for successful CPAP use.
Toca

Hi guys,

I'll try to find the info on the procedure. There's a doc in Texas (I think) that does it. He found a problem that some people have is that the tissue at the back of the throat sags with age, and that can cause snoring and some closure of the throat. I'll see if I can find it and post it.

:-)
Twitchy

Ok, I found some info on the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's website:

How is Sleep Apnea Treated?

Surgery
Some people who have sleep apnea may benefit from surgery. The type of surgery and how well it works depend on the cause of the sleep apnea.

Surgery is done to widen breathing passages. It usually involves removing, shrinking, or stiffening excess tissue in the mouth and throat or resetting the lower jaw.

Surgery to shrink or stiffen excess tissue in the mouth or throat is done in a doctor's office or a hospital. Shrinking tissue may involve small shots or other treatments to the tissue. A series of such treatments may be needed to shrink the excess tissue. To stiffen excess tissue, the doctor makes a small cut in the tissue and inserts a small piece of stiff plastic.

Surgery to remove excess tissue is only done in a hospital. You're given medicine that makes you sleep during the surgery. After surgery, you may have throat pain that lasts for 1 to 2 weeks.

Surgery to remove the tonsils, if they're blocking the airway, may be very helpful for some children. Your child's doctor may suggest waiting some time to see whether these tissues shrink on their own. This is common as small children grow.

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dc...

*****

And here's an article with more details on the surgery, though this one specifically talks about treating snoring.

Surgery
Certain surgeries, including Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP), tonsillectomy, and adenoidectomy, increase the size of your airway by surgically removing tissues or correcting abnormalities. Using a scalpel, laser, or microwaving probe (radiofrequency energy), a surgeon may remove tonsils, adenoids, or excess tissue at the back of the throat or inside the nose, or reconstruct the jaw.

The Pillar procedure, or palatal implantation, is a new surgery which has shown promising results for snoring. Small plastic implants, less than an inch-long in size, are inserted into the soft palate using a syringe-like instrument. The procedure is usually performed in a doctor’s office under local anesthesia, with little pain and mild side effects. Scar tissue builds up around the implants, causing the tissue of the soft palate to stiffen which ceases the vibrations that cause snoring. The down-side of this procedure, and any surgical cure, for that matter, is that it is relatively new and it is expensive. Most insurance plans does not cover surgery for snoring.

http://www.helpguide.org/life/snor...

*****

I think the microwaving probe is the one I saw, and it was done on the back of the throat where the palate meets it. I remember that the procedure was not invasive, i.e., no knives!!

:-)
Twitchy

Thanks Twitchy, for the prompt reply. As more folks are diagnosed with sleep apnea, more research will be done on the issue. There has to be a better way than CPAP, and I hope it comes soon. My best to you and yours.

Thanks, Toca. I wish you the best with yours, too.

I'm a cranky ol' fart by nature and I really wasn't looking forward to wearing a mask every night when I slept! My doctor explained to me how the surgical procedure works. Basically they go in and scrape a bunch of stuff and cut some more. It sounded more like upgrading the plumbing in an old house! I may be a fool but I'm not stupid. I went with the mask!

It took a little while to get used to the mask. Remember the cranky ol' fart comment? I was getting even worse after years of not sleeping well. My blood pressure was thru the roof, I woke up with horrible headaches, I gained a bunch of weight, I snored like a Harley Davidson, woke up several times a night to tinkle, had bad heart burn and was becoming unbearable to live with. I forced myself to wear the mask and experimented with the adjustments. It was a pain but well worth it. Most of my symptoms have disapeared and the others have improved vastly. I still hate wearing the mask but I smile when I put it on because I know I will feel so much better and get a good nights sleep. I hope your husband is patient and keeps with it. Wearing it is well worth the hassle! Good Luck!

Hey Uther,

Love the 'cranky ol' fart' comment! Yeah, I don't think my husband will have the surgery either. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.' Fortunately, his doc told him that he won't have to wear it every night. His UARS is very, very mild. In fact the CPAP setting is at '6'. We'll see how things go. He always falls asleep before I do, so I'll listen to make sure he's not worsening. Yeah, I heard that it can take 3-4 months to adjust to the mask! Thanks for the encouragement that it's worth it. I'm glad you're to the point where you are sleeping well with it.

Take care,
Twitchy