Sleep Apnea Surgery - any experiences with UPPP?

[Grisgra]

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it seems unlikely, but are you AT ALL overweight?

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On that note, it's been shown fairly conclusively that those suffering from sleep apnea due to morbid obesity almost always have the sleep apnea resolve after bariatric surgery. Ditto diabetes. Not many people know that (they know that the surgery generally causes weight loss . . . but it usually helps resolve sleep apnea and diabetes as well.)

[astroglide]

i bring it up because i was far from morbidly obese but i recently lost a fair amount of weight. i apparently stopped snoring completely, and i used to jump up in bed every once in a while gasping for breath.

[Wingnut]

I too, suffer from this affliction. I've been on a CPAP for the last 6 years.

The original ENT that I went to suggested a UPPP, but also got me started on the CPAP. I got a second opinion from another ENT (who had been mentioned in the news regarding a new kind of surgery involving sound waves - not sure whatever came of that), and he confirmed the diagnosis of apnea, but determined that it was caused not by my uvula or palette, but that my tongue was falling back into my throat as I slept. The UPPP may have been the worst thing that could've happened to me, because it would've stopped the snoring, but not done anything for the apnea.

My point being, be sure that you have been diagnosed with the right kind of apnea. The procedure that led to my diagnosis involved putting a fiberoptic tube with a camera down my nose into my throat, and then videoing what happened when I attempted to breathe through my nose with it pinched shut. The doc even let me keep a copy of the tape. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] I am confident that this is the correct diagnosis (or at least much more correct) because if I sleep on my stomach or sleep in any position with my head facing downwards (like in a chair with my chin on my chest), I don't have apnic episodes (I still snore, so it drives my wife nuts).

I spoke with another doctor in his practice, and he mentioned hyoid (sp?) bone surgery - this is apparently a small bone near the lower jaw that has tongue ligaments attached to it. It can be drawn closer to the front of the jaw, pulling the tongue with it. At the time, it sounded too radical, so I didn't pursue it any further (this was about 5 years ago).

Fast forward to today, and I believe (yet to be confirmed by anyone with MD in their name) that the years of CPAP therapy pushing my tongue out of the way (and into my lower teeth) while I sleep has given me somewhat of an underbite (which my parents so lovingly paid for correcting during my teen years). My front teeth scrape together sometimes when I eat, and I often find myself with my tongue between my teeth (muscle memory??) when I am just sitting around (and noticing such things). Even right this second I can't close my teeth all the way because the fronts are interfering with each other. After I go see my dentist next, I may have to reconsider the surgical options for apnea treatment.

Anyway, good luck to you, whichever route you choose. I'd be interested in knowing the outcome.

-David

[Rooster71]

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it seems unlikely, but are you AT ALL overweight?

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I am about 5-8 lbs over my ideal weight. I am 5'8" and 168 lbs. About 10 years ago I started gradually gaining weight and reached around 190 lbs. Last year I lost the excess and wound up staying around 168 lbs. This has been an important factor in my decision to have the surgery. I lost 22 lbs with no noticeable improvement in sleep apnea.

[astroglide]

fwiw i'm 5'8" and 163 pounds. i look totally average, but i have excess material on my thighs and abdomen. i'm still dieting and i expect it will be around 150 pounds when i'm actually around my ideal weight. i know bodies vary widely. you would be challenged to tell the difference between me at 185 and me at 205, i generally carry weight great and have a 'fireplug' kind of build. it could be worth considering that you're not close enough to ideal.

gf observed that i snored the worst when i ended up sleeping on my back. i would think that position could impact something like apnea as well. have you tried focusing on a specific position, using stuff like tempurpedic head/knee pillows, and that sort of thing?

[fyodor]

I thought having the uvula removed was relatively basic and risk free surgery. As risk free as getting anesthetized gets anyhow. The only "downside" for me was there is a kind of snorting noise I am no longer capable of making. I remember that coming in handy on occaison.

[plaster8]

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I spoke with another doctor in his practice, and he mentioned hyoid (sp?) bone surgery - this is apparently a small bone near the lower jaw that has tongue ligaments attached to it. It can be drawn closer to the front of the jaw, pulling the tongue with it. At the time, it sounded too radical, so I didn't pursue it any further (this was about 5 years ago).

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My doctor recommended this as the surgical option most likely to work. He told me they would break my upper and lower jaws, set them forward a bit and wire me shut for a month.

The success chances were "50-50." I decided to keep my CPAP. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Ironically, I'm guessing that by wiring my jaw shut for 30 days, I'd be on the road to losing enough weight that sleep apnea wasn't a problem anymore. But I'm going to have to go the willpower route on that.