With
obstructive
sleep apnea
(OSA),
blockages
somewhere in the
airway occur
repeatedly and
cause breathing
to stop for at
least ten
seconds and
maybe for a
minute or
longer. The
intention of
surgery is to
open the airway
sufficiently to
eliminate or to
reduce
obstructions to
a clinically
insignificant
level. In order
to do so,
surgical therapy
in adults often
must reconstruct
the soft tissues
(such as the
uvula and the
palate) or the
bony tissues
(the jaw) of the
throat.
If you have been
diagnosed with
OSA and are
considering
surgery, talk to
a sleep
specialist
and/or
experienced
surgeon about
the different
procedures, the
chances they
will be
effective for
you with your
anatomy and why,
and the risks
involved with
surgery.
Untreated sleep
apnea can be
harmful to your
health, and
surgery cannot
always address
all the points
of obstruction.
Eliminating the
snoring does not
necessarily
eliminate the
apneas.
Sometimes
surgery does not
cure sleep apnea
but reduces the
number of apneas
so that more
treatment
options are
available to you
and/or more
comfortable. Yet
in some
circumstances,
surgery may
actually worsen
the apnea.
Insurance
typically covers
surgery for
sleep apnea but
not all surgical
procedures.
However,
insurance
companies that
initially refuse
to pay for a
surgery may be
convinced
otherwise upon
an appeal that
demonstrates the
efficacy and
appropriateness
of the surgery
in your case.
Throat pain from
the major
surgeries varies
but is generally
significant,
often for one to
two weeks. Most
surgical
procedures for
sleep apnea are
conducted in a
hospital under
general
anesthetic.
(People with
sleep apnea must
be cautious
about general
anesthesia--no
matter for what
medical
condition the
surgery
is--because of
the effects
anesthesia has
on the airway.
For more on
this, see our
statement Sleep
Apnea and
Same-Day
Surgery.)
If you
think you or a
loved one may
have
symptoms of a
sleep disorder,
please
contact us
today.
Help
is available!
