What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in your mouth, tongue and throat relax, collapsing and blocking the upper airway. This causes you to stop breathing repeatedly throughout the night, leading to a drop in your blood oxygen levels. It can cause serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
An estimated 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. Many try a variety of snoring treatments, without luck. For those individuals who can’t use or don’t benefit from continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the pillar procedure may be a viable alternative.
Pillar Procedure
The Pillar Procedure is a simple surgery designed to treat snoring and sleep apnea. It involves placing polyester implants into the soft palate to offer structural support and reduce tissue vibrations that cause snoring.
How Is a Pillar Procedure Performed?
During this minimally invasive procedure, which is performed in a surgeon’s office and takes about 20 minutes, a topical anesthetic is applied to the soft palate to numb it. The surgeon then injects the area with a local anesthetic and inserts three tiny implants into the junction of the hard and soft palates. As tissue heals, the implants help support and stiffen the soft palate, reducing relaxation and vibration of the tissues and preventing obstruction of the upper airway.
The Pillar Procedure is safe and effective, with few complications or side effects. Afterward, you may be described anti-inflammatory pain medication and antibiotics to prevent infection, but you should be able to resume normal activities the same day. You may experience a sore throat, swelling, difficulty swallowing, but these symptoms are temporary and should disappear within a few weeks.
The Pillar Procedure isn’t for everybody. Results vary depending on the severity of your sleep apnea. Speak with your doctor to see if you are a good candidate for this type of surgery.
UPPP
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a surgical procedure to remove excess tissue in the throat in order to widen the airway, making it easier to breathe. It’s designed to treat obstructive sleep apnea, a sleeping disorder that can cause serious health problems over time.
Why UPPP?
UPPP involves removal of tissues that may include the uvula, soft palate, tonsils, adenoids and pharynx. In some instances, a small portion of the tongue may be removed as well.
If you suffer from snoring and sleep apnea due to excess tissue in the throat or mouth that causes blockages of the upper airway, are unable (or unwilling) to use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) – the preferred method for treating sleep apnea – or do not respond to CPAP treatment, you may be a candidate for UPPP.
The Procedure
During the procedure, the patient is given general anesthesia. The surgeon will remove the tonsils and adenoids (if applicable), excise the uvula and trim or remove the soft palate. The cuts are sutured together with stitches. A brief hospital stay may be recommended so the patient can be closely monitored immediately after surgery.
Complications may include sore throat, swelling, infection, bleeding, difficulty swallowing, speech problems or changes to the voice, sleepiness or apnea due to medications you’ll be given to promote healing, changes in the way food tastes and narrowing of the airway related to scar tissue.
As with other sleep disorder surgeries, UPPP is not a viable solution for everybody. It offers mixed results; some people report a drastic reduction in episodes of snoring and apnea, while others still require additional treatment (e.g. CPAP) afterwards. Your doctor can discuss the risks, and help you to decide whether UPPP is right for you.
Call Nevada Ear + Sinus Institute at (702) 735-7668 for more information or to schedule an appointment.