Having surgery to repair the obstruction causing your sleep apnea may be uncommon, if you struggle with obstructive sleep apnea and traditional treatments are not working, surgery may be your only option. Because sleep apnea can both interfere with your quality of life and also impact your health, finding a treatment that works is important.
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
Removing the soft tissue of the palate and/or removing the uvula can help reduce the amount of obstruction that occurs when you fall asleep and your throat relaxes. By removing this excess tissue, it expands the airway.
Nasal Turbinate Reduction
Turbinate reduction is a minimally invasive surgery using RF energy to reduce the size of nasal turbinate. A nasal turbinate is a bony structure inside the nose covered with mucosa that helps warm the air you inhale into your nose. Turbinate reduction helps to eliminate the nasal obstruction caused by the turbinates and improve apnea symptoms.
Pillar® Procedure
If you suffer from sleep apnea but also have very loud snoring, the Pillar® procedure can be the right choice for treatment. During the procedure, implants are used to stiffen the soft palate so that it doesn’t collapse onto the airway when you sleep.
Hyoid Suspension Surgery or Genioglossus Advancement
These two very similar surgeries both address the position of the tongue, pulling it forward to expand the airway and prevent what can become serious obstruction during sleep.
Not everyone can tolerate a CPAP machine or oral appliance. But going without any treatment at all can you vulnerable to the degradation of your quality of life as well your overall health. Sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol as well as other secondary health complications.
If you are suffering from OSA or snoring and believe you may benefit from surgery, the first step is to schedule an evaluation with an experienced ear, nose and throat doctor. Board certified physicians with New York ENT have extensive experience treating a variety of sleep disorders and breathing conditions. Fill out the form on this page or call our office at 212-873-6036 to schedule an appointment today.