surgery vs. cpap machine

Nanny · Post by **Nanny** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:59 am

I am in the very beginning stages of this process. Took my oxygen test last night and woke up with a 91 oxygen level. I know that's not too good. Have a friend that suggested I look into surgery to fix this as opposed to using the machine. I'm 47 and wearing the machine for 50+ years isn't too exciting but ????

Would love to hear feedback. Thanks.

oceanpearl · Post by **oceanpearl** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:51 am

Nanny wrote:I am in the very beginning stages of this process. Took my oxygen test last night and woke up with a 91 oxygen level. I know that's not too good. Have a friend that suggested I look into surgery to fix this as opposed to using the machine. I'm 47 and wearing the machine for 50+ years isn't too exciting but ????

Would love to hear feedback. Thanks.

My sleep doc told me that he will never again recommend the surgery. He said that it would be the most painfull experience that I could go thru and had only a 10% chance of helping me.

DP · Post by DP » Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:57 am

I am not sure what you mean by 91 oxygen level, but if you mean 91% saturation that is acutally within normal limits. If you mean you had 91 oxygen desaturations, well then that is a different story.

As far as surgery goes Oceanperl is correct. Very painful, not likely to work.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:08 am

I'd find better friends. Jim

WearyOne · Post by **WearyOne** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:09 am

I'm 48 and have been on CPAP for about two months now. I went to a dentist who specializes in making dental appliances for SA patients, just to see what he would say. In addition to saying that CPAP was the best way to treat apnea and the dental appliances should only be used if people can't tolerate cpap, he definitely was against surgery at all. He said, as others have mentioned, is it EXTREMELY painful and a lot of times doesn't really help at all.

Pam

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:29 am

i've gathered from many sources that the surgery is terribly painful and not really effective, as the dr. has no way of knowing exactly how much trimming to do to reduce apneas; also, if you have mixed apnea like i do, surgery won't address that at all...cpap is a safe ,non-invasive, non- pharmaceutical way to manage the disorder...not the worst thing in the world, when you think about it, imho

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 10:39 am

surgery would work if cutting your tongue out was possible, otherwise you are wasting your time going that route. Most of us that have OSA is caused by the tongue falling into the back of the throat. Making a bigger hole for that to land in does nothing, that is why so many UPPP surgeries fail.

When the ENT says well we see it about 40-50% success rate. Don't forget to ask what they mean by "success". If you have nasal issues like a deviated septum, then by all means get that addressed so you can breathe through your nose, it will make cpap much easier. As far as they are concerned, if it lowers your AHI by 1 point that was a success.

If you have an AHI of 50 and you have surgery and it lowers that by 20, you are still left in the Severe range for OSA. You still have to use the machine, only problem now is your palate has been trimmed, your uvula gone and you are stuck with using only a Full Face mask on cpap because you cannot stop the mouth breathing since your palate has been trimmed. Since the uvula is gone, you start regurgitating peanut butter up your nasal passage

blarg · Post by **blarg** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 11:40 am

Surgery often makes it even harder (sometimes impossible) for CPAP therapy to work due to scar tissue that develops during the healing process that occurs after surgery. (To anyone's body really when they swallow a running blender blade.)

Janine · Post by **Janine** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 12:54 pm

I have talked to people who had the surgery, which was very hard to recover from, lots of side effects, and then ended up on cpap anyway.

Try the cpap for a while. Less invasive and wearing the mask gets easier and actually kind of comforting. I put it on and my body knows it is time for sleep!

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:00 pm

wow, snoredog, that is a great explanation!

oceanpearl · Post by **oceanpearl** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 3:35 pm

Doc told me that the only surgery that could possibly help me is major surgery which involves moving the lower jaw forward (he didn't recommend that either).

DP · Post by DP » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:01 pm

oceanpearl wrote:Doc told me that the only surgery that could possibly help me is major surgery which involves moving the lower jaw forward (he didn't recommend that either).

Yes it is called mandibular maxuaillary facial advacement. Very radical surgery with a prolonged recovery period. It certainly does not have a 100% success rate. A bit extreme.

pat07011 · Post by **pat07011** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:41 pm

Thanks for the laugh, Snoredog!!! I was hysterical reading your post.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:38 am

Thanks, everyone! I certainly feel much better entertaining the idea of wearing a mask and "sleeping" than I did before I read Snoredog's reply. Very enlightening.

josh · Post by **josh** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:51 pm

I am heading in for my mma in two months time or so...call me extreme...or desperate.

UPPP increased by AHI from 37 to 56.

Good luck.

Software

Additional Comments: decapitated aura, comfortsleeve, padacheeks, papillow, pur-sleep, pressure 9.5, back to using polident strips

Mask

Additional Comments: Resmed Autoset Spirit APAP/CPAP

surgery vs. cpap machine

surgery vs. cpap machine

Re: surgery vs. cpap machine