Recent sleep apnea diagnosis? There’s a surgical solution.

Have you recently received a sleep apnea diagnosis? If you have, you’re likely now familiar with the dangers of these periods of no breathing during your sleep. While it may be a relief to learn that sleep apnea could explain your tiredness, lack of memory, and inability to concentration, it’s also important to consider your next steps.

A sleep apnea diagnosis is followed by a recommendation for a CPAP or BiPAP machine to gently force breathing during what would have been apnea episodes during rest. These machines push air throughout the airway while you’re resting. They can be loud, embarrassing, and disruptive to your sleep until you’re accustomed to the feel of a face mask or nostril assemblages during sleep.

If you’re newly diagnosed, it’s unlikely you’ve learned that there’s also a potential surgical solution to your sleep apnea that would allow you to sleep peacefully without the use of a CPAP or BiPAP machine.

To solve sleep apnea physiologically, we can perform uvulo-palato-pharyngo-plasty (UPPP) and laser assisted uvulo-palato-plasty (LAUPP) to reconstruct soft tissue in the back of the throat that may be contributing to the obstruction. In some cases, a radio-frequency probe can be used to tighten the soft palate under light IV sedation in the office. In more complex cases, the bones of the upper and lower jaw may be realigned or repositioned to increase the size of the airway (orthognathic surgery). This procedure is done in under general anesthesia and requires a one to two day overnight stay in the hospital.

If you’re tired of the bulk and hassle of CPAP and BiPAP machines for your sleep apnea, UPPP and LAUPP surgical solutions may be just the answer. We’re happy to discuss those options with you!