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Snoring
and Sleep Apnea Surgery
Snoring is not only bothersome to loved ones, it can also be indicative
of a serious medical problem, the Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
or "Sleep Apnea". Many people who snore do not have sleep
apnea. Their snoring, however, can be completely disruptive to the
sleep of others, often requiring loved ones to sleep in separate
beds or even separate rooms.
For some people,
however, snoring is one of the cardinal signs of sleep apnea. The
other hallmark sign is excessive daytime sleepiness. Patients who
are afflicted with this disorder are unaware that they struggle
to breathe while sleeping due to significant obstruction of their
airway. Causes of this obstruction can include nasal obstruction
due to a deviated nasal septum, a long soft palate and uvula, a
large tongue, obesity and/or a recessive chin and jaw.
Problems associated
with sleep apnea can include excessive drowsiness leading to poor
concentration at tasks and an increased accident rate, high blood
pressure, heart disease, impotence, and personality changes.
Do
You Have Sleep Apnea?
•
Do
you snore loudly?
• Are you told that you experience long breathing pauses when
you sleep?
• Do you awaken gasping in the middle of the night?
• Do you experience headaches in the morning upon awakening?
• Do you fall asleep easily at inappropriate times such as
at your desk, while driving, or at stop lights?
If you answered
yes to one or more of these questions, you may have sleep apnea
and should have your condition evaluated.
Treatment
Uncomplicated snoring can be treated in a variety of
ways, including a laser procedure performed on the soft palate and
uvula called the laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty or "LAUP".
This procedure, performed under a light monitored intravenous sedation
in the office, vastly reduces or eliminates snoring in a single
treatment in most patients, and allows the patient to resume completely
normal activities the next day! This procedure can also be effective
in treating some cases of sleep apnea in the appropriate patient.
Additional outpatient procedures that can be of benefit in many
instances of sleep apnea include nasal septoplasty to straighten
a deviated nasal septum and surgery to advance the chin or jaw to
an appropriate position when they are recessive. These procedures
serve to open the airway and reduce obstruction to breathing at
the level of the nose, the soft palate, and at the base of the tongue.
Non surgical positioning devices for the lower jaw are also effective
in some cases.
After a thorough
clinical and radiographic evaluation, your condition can be determined
by Dr. Pollock, and recommendations can be made from among the various
treatment options regarding the proper course of treatment.
The Pillar
Procedure: An effective, first-line treatment
for sleep apnea and snoring
Current
medical management of sleep-related breathing disorders
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