It is very common for people to suffer from poor sleep quality due to sleep disturbance from upper airway obstruction. This can range from snoring to actual obstructed breathing. While snoring may be an issue for others, obstructed breathing can lead to several symptoms (fatigue, headache, poor mood and memory), diseases (hypertension, stroke, heart attack) and lead to vehicle and workplace accidents.
Significant OSA affects over 20 million Americans. CPAP is the recommended treatment for OSA, but unfortunately many people can’t tolerate CPAP. Common issues like mask discomfort, nasal congestion, or claustrophobia cause some people with OSA to take their CPAP off in the middle of the night or, in some cases, not use it at all.
Over many decades, surgical options have been refined to address some of the upper airway issues that lead to snoring and obstructed breathing. These include straightening, supporting, or enlarging the inner structure and passageways of the nose; removal of tonsils or elongated palate in the throat; addressing airway collapse at the base of tongue.
We offer these surgical options to improve the upper airway and reduce obstructed nighttime breathing. Each patient undergoes a comprehensive evaluation and exam to determine the reason for obstruction or CPAP intolerance, and a targeted approach is used to address the problem. These procedures often improve sleep and reduce symptoms of OSA on their own, but they can also make CPAP more tolerable.
Our physicians are skilled at all procedures needed to improve sleep, including the most recent, state-of the-art implant devices to stimulate the nerve responsible for maintaining patency of the throat while sleeping. One such FDA-approved device, Inspire TM, has been successfully implanted in patients for several years with significant reduction in OSA.
We continue to be at the forefront of new techniques and technology aimed to help patients with sleep disturbance.
