Jun
07
2010
Sleep apnea – doctor recommends having part of the soft palate removed – has any one had this done? Results?
Posted by: Alan in Obstructive Sleep Apnea, tags: Apnea., Doctor, Done, Having, palate, part, recommends, Removed, Results, Sleep, soft, This
My husband went to the Ear Nose and Throat doctor to discuss options to improve his quality of sleep and lessen his snoring. The doctor wants to perform a tonsillectomy, re-set his deviated septum, and surgically trim his soft palate. We’ve got a second opinion scheduled for next week, but my husband is understandably nervous. Has any one else had this procedure performed? Were the results what you had hoped for? Was recovery difficult?
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June 7th, 2010 at 7:28 am
My husband uses a device called a CPAP (sp?) machine. See if he can try that first.
Sleep apnea is very dangerous. It can lead to strokes.
June 7th, 2010 at 7:28 am
Nope, but I know that if a person exceeds their normal body weight with a substantial amount of pounds, sleep apnea can occur.
June 7th, 2010 at 7:33 am
My brother had it done and it did nothing but screwup his mouth, he still snorzes, Don’t waste your money, please contact me.
June 7th, 2010 at 8:06 am
I met a guy in sleep clinic, he had 9 sugeries for apnea and nothing has worked. He not only can’t sleep but is in constant pain.
June 7th, 2010 at 8:24 am
now i know your going to think wtf do i have here but i have seen this for myself. get hubby to learn to play the,” Didgeridoo”, or just grab a piece of pvc piping about 5′ in length, practice for 6 mths i bet the snoring stops.
This method though noisy ,is cheap, has no pain, you don’t need a second opinion, and you get better sleep
June 7th, 2010 at 9:16 am
I have sleep apnea too, and i too consulted a surgeon who suggested a surgery similar to the one you mention, BUT i was warned that the surgery wouldn’t necessarily solve the sleep apnea problem.
If your husband is able to sleep with a CPAP machine that is a better, non-surgical remedy that is 100% effective.
Whatever method that your husband choses should take into account that sleep apnea is very dangerous. The hightened risk of heart attack and stroke,and the contributing factor to high blood pressure make not treating sleep apnea a receipe for disaster.
June 7th, 2010 at 9:31 am
John n is right. The surgery is not a cure for sleep apnea and most patients end up on CPAP anyways. The recovery is very very long and painful. I wouldn’t recommend it, I haven’t seen one patient yet that has been cured with surgery. CPAP is the only proven effective treatment for sleep apnea. And it is very simple and non invasive unlike the surgery. The hardest part is just adjusting to wearing a mask but it is well worth the benefits. Has your husband seen a board certified sleep specialist?? If not thats what he needs to do. ENT’s almost always want to do surgery. Good luck in your ventures.
June 7th, 2010 at 9:40 am
ENTs are surgeons and will recommend surgery; it’s their treatment of choice after they’ve tried the medication route.
The specialist who should advise about the apnea is a pulmonologist. These folks aren’t surgeons and have other treatments an ENT isn’t necessarily qualified to use or recommend.
You husband may actually need both. However, prior to deciding to trim the soft palate, ask about the role the adenoids are playing in the whole picture. If the tonsils are enlarged, the adenoids are likely to be, too.
I think trimming the soft palate is questionable, but if it’s abnormally long, it should be trimmed.
A septoplasty will make breathing through his nose easier even when he’s not asleep.