Saturday, April 20, 2013

The benefits and risks of surgery for sleep apnea

By Michael Larkin


UPPP surgery for obstructive sleep apnea or Uvulopalatpharngoplasty is the most common surgery for this sleep disorder. It can also treat snoring. This sleep apnea surgery is not a sure thing though and it can come with some risky side effects.

The surgery removes excess tissues of the mouth and throat to open up the airway more. This helps with the tissues and tongue from blocking the airway.

There may be a few different reasons to get this surgery. A couple of the reasons for this surgery are if the CPAP does not work for you and if you are tired of using the CPAP machine. OSA and snoring can be treated naturally with some other treatment options out there, this is just one alternative.

What are some of the tissues removed during UPPP surgery? The uvula, a section of the soft palate, the tonsils, adenoids and other tissues of the throat may all be removed.

If an enlarged tongue is causing major blockage of the airway there is a different surgery that needs to be done. This surgery is called uvulopalatopharyngoglossoplasty and it removes a small part of the tongue.

There are a few risky side effects associate with UPPP. Some of these side effects are speech problems; nasal sound from the voice; bleeding; swelling; infection; may not treat obstructive sleep apnea afterwards; may still need a CPAP for assisted breathing; prolonged pain medication usage; residual pain and complications during surgery.

There are mixed results that come with UPPP surgery for sleep apnea. It works for some and it doesn't for other cases. It may not be for all people and there are several other options out there.

The surgery may treat snoring, but not sleep apnea. Snoring is one of the biggest warning signs for OSA. If there is no longer snoring that occurs, there can still be the health risks of sleep apnea lingering. It is important to have someone monitor your sleep for a few days after the procedure has been done.

UPPP sleep apnea surgery can be very successful, but it does have it's possible side effects. Like all surgeries, there are risks that come with it and it may not always be guaranteed. If you are considering this surgery talk with your doctor first to see if this is the right path. It works for some cases and can be good, but it may not work for every one.




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