Tuesday 18 June 2013

The benefits and risks of surgery for sleep apnea

By Michael Larkin


The most common surgery for sleep apnea is call Uvulopalatpharngoplasty or UPPP. This surgery for sleep apnea can get rid of sleep apnea for many cases, but it's not a guarantee and can be risky.

The surgery removes excess tissues of the mouth and throat to open up the airway more. This helps with the tissues and tongue from blocking the airway.

Some of the reason to have UPPP surgery for obstructive sleep apnea done are you cannot get use to the CPAP or the CPAP doesn't work for you. The CPAP and UPPP are not the only sleep apnea treatment options out there, but they are two of the most common.

The uvula, part of the soft palate, the tonsils, adenoids and other excess tissue of the throat are some of the things removed during UPPP surgery for sleep apnea.

If an enlarged tongue is a major cause of sleep apnea, there is a different procedure called uvulopalatopharyngoglossoplasty. This surgery removes part of the enlarged tongue. This helps from the tongue blocking the whole airway.

UPPP has some side effects that can come with it. Some of the side effects are speech problems; nasally sound in the voice; swelling; bleeding; infection; prolonged pain; tastes for food change; may not even treat OSA; extended use of paid medications; a CPAP may still need to be used after and surgery complications.

There are mixed results that come with UPPP surgery for sleep apnea. It works for some and it doesn't for other cases. It may not be for all people and there are several other options out there.

The surgery may treat snoring, but not sleep apnea. Snoring is one of the biggest warning signs for OSA. If there is no longer snoring that occurs, there can still be the health risks of sleep apnea lingering. It is important to have someone monitor your sleep for a few days after the procedure has been done.

UPPP sleep apnea surgery can be very successful, but it does have it's possible side effects. Like all surgeries, there are risks that come with it and it may not always be guaranteed. If you are considering this surgery talk with your doctor first to see if this is the right path. It works for some cases and can be good, but it may not work for every one.




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