Can I PLEASE have some advice about sleep apnea surgery
by Sarah Aniston
Filed under Sleep Apnea Books
I have obstructive sleep apnea. I had a sleep study done. I got a CPAP machine but I can’t sleep with it on. It’s very uncomfortable and I cannot fall asleep with it on. I’m scheduled for a tonsillectomy and UPPP in 9 weeks.
Everything I read online says don’t do the UPPP. Everyone on Yahoo Answers says don’t do the UPPP. Now, obviously the CPAP is not an option. I simply cannot tolerate it. The surgery is my next step.
My tonsils have always been enlarged. Should I have just the tonsils out first and see if that works before I go ahead and do everything? I’m worried that the UPPP might change the way I talk. I don’t know what to do. All I know is that I need surgery because I can’t use the CPAP and I can’t go on like this anymore.
When I worked as an anesthesia technician we did many UPPP’S. I never heard the surgeons speak against them. The surgeons who did do them I would trust with my life, and they would not do the surgery if it was not necesssary, and safe.
I couldn’t sleep with my CPAP either. It took an entire year to finally figure out what mask I could wear. I wear the nasal pillows, not that horrid big thing over my face. It is SO much better. I had the surgery to fix a deviated septum and trim the turbinates. It wasn’t too bad. I was too nervous about the other surgeries so I didn’t do them. The CPAP took me from 45 apneas per hour to only 3. My suggestion is to FORCE yourself to use the CPAP, trying all the different things. I even had to use a chin brace because my mouth would hang open, blocking the CPAP from working. But eventually I was able to learn to keep my mouth shut. lol
The CPAP is ESSENTIAL. If you have to, take a sleeping pill at night or a relaxation pill (if your doctor agrees) and learn to get used to the CPAP. I sleep like a baby with mine on now and love the deep breathing I get with it. It just takes a LOT of time and adjusting to get used to it. Good luck.
If you have enlarged tonsils, CPAP is relatively disfunctional-the increased mass in the throat makes it feel as though you cannot breathe and can increase anxiety. I don’t know how severe your sleep apnea is, so I can’t judge anything for you, though.
If you haven’t consulted with an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT), I recommend that you do so. He/She may have more options for you instead of an invasive surgery such as this. In your case, a tonsillectomy with adenoid removal may help enough. There’s a noninvasive method that’s relatively new, called the Pillar Procedure, in which rigid inserts are placed into your soft palate in a simple office visit. Here’s a site for more info: http://www.pillarprocedure.com/
If you don’t have a good feeling about this surgery, consult another physician who can offer more options or at least confirm that this is your best bet for relief. The way you perceive things in the way of surgery is very important and you should be comfortable with a procedure before going through with it.
Good luck in your decision, I hope it’s an easy one! God bless