Pillar Procedure

[Anonymous]

The Pillar system is different from other treatments. It is specifically designed to produce a lasting reduction in snoring after a single, brief office procedure. Unlike other procedures, the Pillar procedure does not require heating or removing tissue, or the use of any sclerosing agents, which means the procedure causes minimal discomfort and recovery time is short. In fact, most patients resume a normal diet and activities the same day.

During the Pillar procedure, no tissue is removed. Instead, three tiny inserts are placed in your soft palate during a brief office visit using local anesthetic. The inserts support and stiffen the palate, which has been shown to reduce snoring in many individuals. In addition, the inserts are made of a polyester material that causes a stiffening response in the palate tissue itself. This supporting and stiffening of the soft palate will last as long as the inserts are in place. Most patients begin to see a significant reduction in their snoring within two to four weeks, and have the potential to experience a lasting effect.

[maryrose]

Anyone have that procedure done? Does it work? Is it worth doing?

[rested gal]

Here ya go, maryrose... clickable links....

Pillar Procedure and TAP Dental Device: Topics containing PaulY and Sleepy Stoboy's excellent posts about the Pillar Procedure (3 small inserts placed in the soft palate) and the TAP dental device ("Thornton Adjustable Positioner", a removable device worn in mouth while sleeping to hold lower jaw forward and open the airway more.)

Direct link to Dental Sleep Medicine message board on TAS

Direct link to PaulY's PSG studies before and after the Pillar Implants and TAP device (posted on osaforum/com under the nickname pyounan)

More topics about Pillar and TAP:

Jun 30, 2005 subject: Insurance reimbursement for Pillar starting to happen

Jun 22 2005 subject: pillar procedure newbie ( long)

Jun 21 2005 subject: Does sleeping positions effect Apnea

Jun 16 2005 subject: Getting off of CPAP

Jun 09 2005 subject: MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL PILLAR PROCEDURE DOCS?

Jun 09, 2005 subject: GOOD ENT IN THE TWIN CITIES??

Jun 03 2005 subject: Pillars - Insurance Denied Claim

Jun 03 2005 subject: just had the pillar

May 30 2005 subject: Somnoplasty vs Pillar vs UUUP?

May 24 2005 subject: pillar procedure scheduled questions

May 23 2005 subject: LAUP vs Pillar?

May 18 2005 subject: similar to "Cost of my Pillar procedure $1500"

May 07 2005 subject: Pillar Success Stories

May 11 2005 subject: Pillar and Tap

May 04 2005 subject: pillar procedure

Sat, Feb 27 2005 subject: Open Letter to Restore Medical

Sat, Feb 26 2005 subject: Drumroll Please - Here is your Pillar Implant Pre and Post S

Feb 22 2005 subject: Pillar surgery

Jan 31 2005 subject: Pillar and GA(tongue advancement)

Nov 29 2004 subject: Snoring Questions

[purplelover]

Anyone have that procedure done? Does it work? Is it worth doing?

I had the Pillar Procedure several months ago and I am still snoring. As you might imagine, I am very dissapointed that I am still running my poor Husband out of the Bedroom. So, I am scheduled for PPP on this coming Thursday. So, We will see what happens after that. I certainly am not looking forward to that. It sounds horrible!!!!!
I would be curious to hear from others who have had the procedure and what the results were. It sounded like a great Idea. Try it and let us hear how it goes with you.

[rested gal]

purplelover, before you actually let any doctor perform a UPPP procedure on you (I guess that's what you were referring to - "PPP") you might want to really dig into a lot of message board posts about that surgery on the soft palate. You might decide to skip that kind of often useless and extremely painful surgery and try other means (especially "cpap") to handle sleep apnea.

Topics about UPPP surgery are at the bottom third of this page of links:
Clickable LINKS to surgery, turbinates, Pillar, TAP experiences
viewtopic.php?t=2836

Also check out:
viewtopic.php?t=11788
I don't think you can count "successes" without people having follow-up PSG sleep studies. I doubt if many ENT surgeons urge the people they operate on to have a sleep study a year down the road.

[Snoredog]

only problem with Pillar is it does NOT stop snoring, reason the poster with no balls posts under anonymous.

I challenge anyone to show BEFORE and AFTER PSG's where Pillar eliminated snoring. Even the advocates for it over on TAS blocked that comment out with a permanent marker so you wouldn't see it.

1. No clinical evidence to show it cures OSA, certainly not severe OSA.
2. No clinical evidence to show where it eliminates snoring.
3. No clinical evidence to show where it prevents the tongue from falling into the back of the throat, the main cause of most OSA.

But if you are interested in wasting your money, I'd certainly look into it. Yeah we know, Guest wait another 6 months it hasn't kicked in yet.

[Snoredog]

Anyone have that procedure done? Does it work? Is it worth doing?

I had the Pillar Procedure several months ago and I am still snoring. As you might imagine, I am very dissapointed that I am still running my poor Husband out of the Bedroom. So, I am scheduled for PPP on this coming Thursday. So, We will see what happens after that. I certainly am not looking forward to that. It sounds horrible!!!!!
I would be curious to hear from others who have had the procedure and what the results were. It sounded like a great Idea. Try it and let us hear how it goes with you.

[Guest]

I spoke with my sleep tech about the pillar procedure. Her comment made sense to me - most of the time. the sleep techs don't know where the airway collapse is happening, just that it is. If the airway collapse is happening in the exact location that pillar is done, there's a chance that it would work. If not, it's a waste of money.

[kathyg]

I had the procedure 2 1/2 months ago and my boyfriend says I am still snoring just as loudly. I am disappointed in the procedure... It did stiffen the palate but did not stop the noise. I am not sure what i will do now.

[Snoredog]

I had the procedure 2 1/2 months ago and my boyfriend says I am still snoring just as loudly. I am disappointed in the procedure... It did stiffen the palate but did not stop the noise. I am not sure what i will do now.

That doesn't surprise me, every PSG I've ever seen even the clowns on TAS post Pillar showed snoring continues, all you can hope for now is if they don't extrude.