Surgery is another option to treat sleep apnea.
Surgery removes excess tissue from the nose or throat. This procedure can only be performed in the hospital.
Another option is to shrink or harden the excess tissue, or to reset the jaw. When the tissue shrinks or hardens, the surgery is usually done in the doctor's office, but it can also be done in the hospital.
If the contraction procedure is completed, you may need to make some injections in the tissue area.
If you need to further reduce the excess tissue, you may need other treatments besides injections.
In addition, the hardening process involves the doctor making a small incision in the excess tissue and placing a small piece of hard plastic.
During the preoperative period, you will be given medicine to make you fall asleep.
Therefore, you will be outside during the procedure and will not feel anything until you wake up.
After surgery in the hospital, you may experience a sore throat in about 7 to 14
days.
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Here are some surgical options to treat sleep apnea and help you rest better:
• UPPP (Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty)
This is a surgery to remove tissue from the back of the mouth. The tissue is also removed from the upper part of the throat. In addition to removing tissue, tonsils and adenoids are also removed.
With this surgery, your snoring can be stopped; however, because there is still tissue under the throat, it is unlikely to treat or cure your sleep apnea.
Leave the tissue there, your airway is not open. With UPPP surgery, you have to go to the hospital for surgery; with this type of surgery, you will experience a lot of pain.
You will recover for a few weeks. This operation is only suitable for people with severe obstructive sleep apnea.
Even so, only a few people accept this procedure.
This is not one of the operations where you can get up and get back to normal.
If you are able to perform UPPP surgery, you may be at risk of some complications, including:
• The soft palate and throat muscles may not work properly.
• If antibiotics are not used before the operation, your throat may become infected.
• You may have trouble swallowing.
• You may feel fluid gushing from your mouth or nose.
• You may not be able to smell it.
Having surgery to help you sleep better is not guaranteed. You may still experience sleep apnea episodes again.
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Even using CPAP after surgery will not be as effective.
Some oral surgery can be performed:
• Tracheotomy: If the previous treatment does not work, perform this surgery.
You can also use it if your sleep apnea is severe enough to be life-and-death. Insert a tube made of metal or plastic through the opening in the neck for you to breathe.
The opening remains covered during the day and not covered at night. When you sleep, you need air to get in and out of your lungs.
• Advancement of the upper and lower jaws:
This surgery prevents blockage of the throat by expanding the space where the tongue and soft palate meet.
Move the upper and lower jaws forward. This is how the magnification is created.
This process is complicated, so it may require an oral surgeon and an orthodontist to do it together.
Surgeons use lasers to remove unnecessary tissue from the back of the throat. They can also use radio frequency energy.
Both methods are suitable for treating snoring. Although they can be used to relieve snoring, they should not be used to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
There are some additional procedures that can be used to relieve snoring.
Some of them can help treat sleep apnea. However, surgery cannot cure this sleep disorder.
They include:
• Removal of enlarged tonsils or adenoids
• Nose surgery: Removal of polyps or straightening of the diaphragm placed between the nostrils.
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The additional surgery used can treat facial abnormalities. There are some surgical procedures that can solve additional obstacles. Both can cause sleep apnea.
These procedures can be completed together or separately.
Other surgeries include:
• Chin plastic surgery
• Tongue advancement: This surgery involves making a cut at the intersection of the jaw and tongue.
• Hyoid surgery: The bone under the chin that can be moved is moved forward.
When it moves, the tongue muscle also moves. Surgery for apnea is not guaranteed. It depends on the type of surgery and the details of sleep apnea.
For central and complex sleep apnea, different therapies can be used.
Some of these include:
• CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure)
• Medical treatment of heart and neuromuscular problems
• BiPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure): This is the use of higher pressure to inhale. When you exhale, the air pressure will drop. If you have central sleep apnea, this can help strengthen your breathing pattern.
If the device detects that you are not breathing after a few seconds, you can set the device to automatic mode.
• ASV (Adaptive Servo Ventilation)-This is a new airflow device that can understand your usual breathing style. You save the breathing pattern information on the computer.
When you sleep, ASV can keep your breathing pattern at a normal frequency and eliminate apnea. If you have central sleep apnea, this method may be more suitable for you than CPAP.
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There are some people who do get the recommended amount of sleep, but still get up fatigued. This can be related to their snoring. Snoring is a very serious medical issue. To combat that, sleep apnea pillows can be used.
Sleep apnea pillows have been known to treat sleep apnea in some people. Before you try one, you must know whether or not you are just snoring or if the snoring is a result of sleep apnea (obstructive). However, even it is snoring without the condition, you can still use one of these pillows to reduce your snoring, if nothing else.
Sleep apnea pillows can help the airway of your throat stay open. Because sleep apnea causes your breathing to be irregular and interrupted, the pillow works to make your breathing regular again. The irregular and interrupted breathing usually happens during the evening when you are sleeping.
The special pillows are designed with panels of foam that are elevated, unlike a regular pillow. The elevation works to keep your head slanted. This helps to increase your breathing pattern to make it regular and uninterrupted again.
Sleep apnea pillows can be made to where they can be used in more than one sleeping position. They are adjustable, so that you can sleep in the way that is most comfortable for you. They provide you with plenty of support so that you can get a good night’s sleep.
The sleep apnea pillow also helps in the following ways in regard to sleep apnea:
• Blocked airways are opened—this helps with snoring relief and sleep apnea
• Provides comfort and support so that you can get a good night’s sleep
• Relieves you from the fatigue that you experience as a result of your sleep apnea condition
• The pillow allows you to sleep like a baby
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There are people who are chronic snorers that have never used these types of pillows and don’t want to try them.
They would rather get sleeping pills and end up getting dependent on them.
Medication is not a good alternative to assist you with your snoring or sleep apnea.
In fact, medication is not recommended because it has proven not to be effective.