CPAP MASK

Surgery should be the last option utilized for sleep apnea.  But it may be an alternative treatment if there is a physical cause for your sleep apnea that surgery can correct.  Or if more conservative treatments fail to control your sleep apnea.

It is important that you have a realistic expectation for the success of  surgery for your sleep apnea, if that is what you are considering.   Your sleep specialist will also inform you of all the risks and side effects involved.

NASAL OPERATIONS

Nasal surgery may work for you if you have a blockage in your nose or if you have a deviated septum.  The septum is the bony wall between the two nostrils.  If it is bent, it can block airflow through your nose.  This surgery is usually done in conjunction with a more detailed treatment plan.  Nasal surgery alone will rarely cure OSA.

LASER-ASSISTED UVULOPALATOPLASTY (LAUP)

This procedure is done mainly for the treatment of snoring.  The uvula is the tissue that hangs from the back of your throat.   A surgeon will use a laser to remove part of the uvula and also the soft palate.  Though this procedure may be helpful for snoring, it is seldom a successful treatment for sleep apnea.

UVULOPALATOPHARYNGOPLASTY (UPPP)

This surgery involves the removal of the uvula, the tonsils and part of the soft palate.  It may be helpful for sleep apnea, but less than fifty percent who undergo it actually see complete success.  In addition, there are side effects such as severe throat pain, nasal sounding speech and a problem with liquids backing up into your nose when you swallow.

INFERIOR SAGITTAL MANDIBULAR OSTEOTOMY (ISO) & GENIOHYOID ADVANCEMENT (GA) WITH HYOID MYOTO (HM)

The ISO and GAHM are both surgeries that involve cutting the bones of the face.  They are, obviously, very aggressive ways to go about enlarging the airway.   They are meant to target the lower part of the airway that collapses and causes sleep apnea.  The goal is to make the opening as large as possible.  The success of these surgeries will depend on factors such as a person’s weight and their bony structure.

These are four possible surgeries for snoring and sleep apnea.  The next article in a few days will cover three more surgeries for sleep apnea.