Anyone deal with throat/nose surgery for sleep apnea?

I'm giving this thread a litlte boost because I'm still anxious to talk to anyone who has been through this.

Thanks!

I had a deviated septum that led to sleep apnea. Once I had that repaired, I sleep and breath so much better. Surgery was out patient and I was back to feeling better the next day. Once I had the packing out 3 days later it was no time I was back to my old self.

My husband had surgery for apnea several years ago. The operation was only on his throat, and the initial reaction was so so. It helped his breathing but 1. it resulted in two weeks of the worst sore throat you've ever had 2. I think they took out too much tissue-now when he eats or drinks food can go up his nose 3. as time went by he gained weight and the condition went right back to the way it was beore the surgery. As a result he has been reluctant to try other forms of treatment. Be sure your surgeon is very experienced in this type of procedure,and get a second opinion.

Thanks for the replies!

My mom had the surgery in June and is doing well. She had her septum corrected and bulky tissues and uvula removed. The recovery was rough and lasted about three weeks. Thankfully it seemed to get a little better each day.

Mom goes for a repeat sleep study in a few weeks. I'm really hopeful it will result in a reduction in CPAP pressure so it's tolerable and she can sleep!

Missy,

I had this surgery in December 2008 and feel better sinus wise but after another sleep study after the surgery I still have Sleep Apnea and I hate the CPAP. The reason I had the surgery was so I could get rid of the CPAP. My physician now wants me to come back in to see what we can work out? I hope things go better for your Mother. I wish there something like my Mother wares for oxygen at night instead of the Darth Vader mask.

Missy,

I understand that your mother already had the procedure and is doing well.

For others reading this forum:

Consider a second opinion if your physician is insists on pursuing surgery as a first line remedy. If you or your relative has tried various CPAPs, nasal lavage, nasal strips, nasal steroids, a humidifier, etc., then you may consider seeking advise from a board certified ENT (otolaryngologist) who specializes in treating this type of complaint. He/she may recommend somnoplasty: a procedure to help open breathing passages.

However, in my case, I sought counsel from another specialist (a second opinion) after my primary ENT physician suggested this procedure. The chief of ENT at a teaching hospital examined me and said the procedure wasn't necessary in my case.

I followed his recommendations and sleep well most nights and his suggestions helped avoid the discomfort of surgery and possible subsequent side effects, such as difficulty in swallowing.

My husband had sleep apnea and severe snoring for a few years. His ENT recommended after the CPAP was unsatisfactory to have the surgery. My husband decided to wait until after he turned 65 (about 6 months)so that medicare would cover it. In the meantime he lost 30 pounds and both problems disappeared!

I snore heavily, and have in the past been diagnosed with sleep apnea, although recent sleep studies are borderline. I couldn't tolerate a CPAP either. However, to help with the snoring my ENT suggested a radiofrequency procedure called a somnaplasty. Tissue at the back of my throat and my soft palate were shrunk with a radiofrequency device in his office. It takes less than 30 minutes and is not very painful. You just have a local anesthetic. Then you have a REALLY bad sore throat for a few days. Every two or three years I have it redone, as the tissue eventually sags. After three weeks or so you notice an improvement in snoring, sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much. It's not an insured procedure for snoring, but I think it's worth it. I decided against the much more invasive procedure in which the uvula is completely removed after reading too many stories of problems people had afterward (including swallowing and getting food up the nose). A couple of doctors recommended against it too, and the recovery is longer and more painful. Hope this helps.

I do NOT sugest the surgery but that is just from my own personal experience. I had my throat/uvula surgery and nose surgery about 9 years ago. The snoring stopped for about 5 months despite also losing weight at the same time. I have a lot of trouble swallowing now and "choke" on air still to this day. I wish I had not done it. It was very painful for several weeks... But, I do like my CPAP which I know most people do not. I love to "CPAP UP" by putting on the CPAP, covering my face with blankets and sleeping in complete quiet. Good Luck

This is regarding snoring and surgery-or not. Both my husband and I snore and it can get pretty bad except that we usually take turns where the other one has to go to the other bed in the other room. I read in a book about drinking hot or warm water-80 ounces a day so that it would clear out the mucus. It works for me. I don't drink more than about 8 ounces hot water before I go to bed but even that works immediately. I can feel it working as soon as I drink it. I also use mentholatum under my nose. I hope this works for others.

I have sleep apnea (smallest throat opening Doctor has seen) and opted to not have surgery for most of the reason that others have posted. Could not tolerate CAP and ended up with TAP ......a devise consisiting of dental trays (similar to those used to bleach your teeth)that are adjustable and pulls lower jaw forward to open passage in throat. Testing at sleep clinc has proven that they work so i'm a happy sleeper

The CPAP works great for my husband! Highly recommended!

where do I get TAP from south Miss.

I think I have this problem too. I don't sleep well and I stop breading during of the night.

Hi Missy, I have the same problem as your mother. I am thinking of trying the dental tray before I do anything else. The CAP didn't help me at all. Missy I will keep your mother in prayer. I will try to let you know if it works. I feel anything is better then a operation of any kind. "Big or small" Sue

Thenewyorklady@verizon.net

I have an extensive report called "The Truth About Sleep Apnea Surgery" on my website at http://www.doctorstevenpark.com. It's an in depth discussion about the pros and cons of surgery. Everyone should read it.

I have sleep apnea I just went through all the test. My doctor said the scale is the best being 0 the worst being 15 I was a 14. I stop breathing when i'm awake. If I am engrossed in something I forget to breath. My CPAP was a pain in the face until they showed me the different nose peices. I got the one that just goes into the nose and it doesn't cover my face like the first one did. Even with that I still don't sleep. I take sleeping pills but still only get mayby 4 hours of sleep. I take my pill at 10pm and finally start to feel a little tired around 5 am. I have done this for 40 years. After my first born and I had to keep an ear out during the night is when it started and it has never stopped. I just roll with it. I hope and pray for your mom that the surgery works for her. This is my first time on this site and everyone seems very nice. Thank you for hearing me out. Carol

I had my tonsils removed and some tissue removed around my throat on 4-23-10. It is a very painful recovery. I can only take liquids and even that hurts. I have managed to loose 19lbs in six days, so thats one positive. Ps. this was done for severe sleep apnea. I am a truck driver so I had to do something.

I'm so glad the TAP worked for you!

They didn't work well for me, but that is because I have a lot of crowns, and the tray broke one tooth inside the crown when my mouth resisted the TAP positioning. I got to choose whether to have it molded with or without my flippers in (plastic false teeth which fill in spaces where teeth were extracted). The dentist wouldn't recommend one way or the other, so I gave it my best effort to choose wisely. My flippers replace the front teeth, and I didn't realize that my mouth would resist so much while I was sleeping!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the TAP is a great device, but take into account any dental situations you may have.

Where do you get a TAP? There are dentists who are trained to do it, so begin by asking your regular dentist. If he can't do it, he can probably recommend someone. The term he may recognize is "sleep apnea dental orthotic", or something similar.

The power of my teeth resisting the device may have caused me an unexpected problem, but it also says how powerful it is in keeping the mouth from sliding back and blocking the throat.

Again, I'm THRILLED to hear a success story with the TAP, even though it didn't work for me. For me, it was my funky teeth that didn't hold up, so it wasn't any problem with the TAP itself.

I wish they would do something about my sleep apnea, but I have so many other medical problems, everything has to wait its turn for attention. I have 18 sleep arousals to breath per hour, but asthma, spinal injuries, and finishing breast cancer treatment come first.

Hi Carol, I too have Sleep Apnea. When I had my first sleep study done about 8 years ago I was told that my Heart stopped 43 times a minute. I use the big mask that covers the nose and mouth because I sleep with my mouth open. It took awhile to get used to but now I can't wait to put it on. Then I cover my head and sleep like a baby, a big 73 year old baby. I hope you get some relief from not sleeping. Good luck, Pat

I have had multiple sleep studies, the complete "sleep apnea" surgery, and now am using a moldable type teeth protector, like silicone(bought at Walgreen's) because I now grind my teeth and have sinus issues that I have never had before, especially when the cold winter blows up your nasal passages like a snowstorm!I have taken antidepressants for 25 years,(was told lack of sleep/depression/migraines could have been possible due to LOUD snoring. I unfortunately have to take 2 mgs.klonopin at night or I will take up to three hours to get to sleep, and feel as if I have only slept 1/2 hour. Bottom line, I never should have had sleep apnea surgery, EXTREMELY PAINFUL AND RECOVERY TIME WAS 3 weeks! I have tried the cpap machine even with the newer nose pillows, (I would awake throughout the night as if I were suffocating and would have to "restart" the unit to the initial lower pressure level. My dentist told me the "trays" to push lower jaw forward would'nt work, but, he's not a specialist either. I saw a very good ENT doc., a pulmonary specialist (after the surgery, who highly denounces the removal of the uvula,and other tissues as all of this can and may grow back), but, I have never had my nose "straightened/reduced", (considered cosmetic my docs. and insurance companies),reduction of the cartilage and tissue in my left nostril is BLOCKING the left nostril most of the time. If I sleep on my right side, no air gets through the left side. The band-aid type nasal passage openers do not work for me. The only positive thing since the surgery 8 years ago, I don't snore like a horse, now I snore "like I can't breathe well" at nite, as my kids tell me. Considering how much all of these sleep studies, surgery, doctor's visits and treatments have cost my insurance company, you would think that they would have sprung for a "nose job" or at least made very sure the right/best treatment was done to resolve the problem that I still have. Think long and hard before you try "band aid/quickie" type remedies, do the "best" remedy for your health. Good luck and god bless.

To: Joanette

"My husband had surgery for apnea several years ago. The operation was only on his throat, and the initial reaction was so so. It helped his breathing but 1. it resulted in two weeks of the worst sore throat you've ever had 2. I think they took out too much tissue-now when he eats or drinks food can go up his nose 3. as time went by he gained weight and the condition went right back to the way it was beore the surgery. As a result he has been reluctant to try other forms of treatment. Be sure your surgeon is very experienced in this type of procedure,and get a second opinion."

I have had the exact same experience, except I also had breakthrough bleeding in my throat and was drowning in my own blood till I got to the hospital and hour away, but I hope he is doing well and does eventually go for another exam. I am going this week to my fam. dr. to get a referral for another sleep study. I hope maybe I can get the proper treatment this time around.

Ten years ago a reputable doctor removed my uvula, tonsils and most of the soft palate in my mouth. Looking back on the experience, I can say that it was the WORST medical procedure ever done to me. The recovery period was three of the most painful weeks ever. I mean PAIN! I could not swallow anything without excrutiating pain. Once back to "normal" I soon learned that inhaling while eating was to be avoided at all cost. The loss of my uvula meant small bits and crumbs went right down the unobstructed windpipe, causing distressed coughing that did not stop until the crumb was out, leaving me worn out, embarrassed and in pain. Now, no matter how hard I try not to inhale with food in my mouth, there is always something that "goes down the wrong way". Use the CPAP machine and forget the surgery.

It's clear from all the various comments that different people have different responses to surgery. The problem with all the various surgical techniques described in this forum is that they only address one area of your breathing passageways. Most most people with obstructive sleep apnea have multiple levels of obstruction. This is why treating the soft palate will only help somewhat or not at all. The more definitively you address all three areas (nose, palate, tongue), the better your chances of success.

Surgery should only be considered if you've tried all the non-surgical options including CPAP or oral appliances. Usually, with proper education and support, many people can benefit from CPAP. Oral appliances can also be tried for some people who are good candidates, but these devices only address tongue collapse (and the soft palate somewhat). Most people with sleep apnea will have some or significant degree of nasal congestion, which you need to address for CPAP or oral appliances to work well.

However, there are some people who try everything, including 5 different masks, two oral appliances, and can't tolerate or benefit from anything. They are miserable. Unfortunately, when these people are offered surgery, only a minimal procedure in only one level is addressed, and will not solve the problem in most cases. In general, you can either enlarge the soft tissue passageways along the entire breathing passageways (nose to tongue), or widen the jaws (through appliances, orthodontics or surgery). Losing weight can help sometimes, but not in all cases. Some people with severe obstructive sleep apnea are very thin and have no weight to lose. This just goes to show that obstructive sleep apnea occurs due to narrowed jaw structures, rather than due to being overweight. Even if you do lose weight and feel better, it's important to get re-tested, since you could still have significant obstructive sleep apnea.

There's no one best treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. In general, you should start with conservative options, and look at surgery only if conservative options don't work. But when you do end up considering surgery, make sure it's performed properly at the right areas. Some people end up integrating a little of everything.

There are also various other complementary or alternative options (tongue exercises, didgeridoo, acupuncture, etc.), but they all work to various degrees in various people. It can't hurt to try them, and if it helps, then keep doing it.

http://doctorstevenpark.com