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Sunday, 9 June 2013

Learn more about surgery for sleep apnea?

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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.

Simply put, UPPP is the removal of tissue from the throat and mouth to help open up the airway passage. The removal of excess tissues helps with the blockage of the airway which causes OSA and snoring.

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.

What tissues of the throat and mouth are taken out with UPPP? A section of the soft palate, the uvula, adenoids, tonsils and other tissues may be removed during the procedure.

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 have been mixed results with cases for this surgery. In some it completely works with out any complications. In other cases it doesn't work and causes some risky side effects.

UPPP may work really well at treating snoring, but not OSA. This can be a risk in itself because snoring is one of the major warnings of sleep apnea. If you cannot hear snoring anymore, it can make you think you do not have OSA anymore. This can actually cause major health issues that are associated with sleep apnea because the problem still is not taken care of. Make sure if this procedure is done to have someone monitor sleep afterwards to make sure.

UPPP surgery for obstructive sleep apnea can be a successful option and may not always be bad. Every surgery can be a risk and have major side effects. It is important to consult with a sleep doctor to make sure this option is ideal for you. There are several other safe treatments of OSA and snoring. This surgery is not for everyone. It has a lot of upside if successful and has some side effects if it is not.




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