Deviated Septum

[glenwood73]

I have been struggling with cpap for a long time, been told I have deviated septum and oversize uvula in throat...Met my insurance deductible so went to my ENT..He said my nose is very crooked and he would do surgery but it will not help my sleep apnea at all..Has anyone had this surgery and did it help ? He said it may help to breathe better, but no guarantee..

[49er]

I have been struggling with cpap for a long time, been told I have deviated septum and oversize uvula in throat...Met my insurance deductible so went to my ENT..He said my nose is very crooked and he would do surgery but it will not help my sleep apnea at all..Has anyone had this surgery and did it help ? He said it may help to breathe better, but no guarantee..

Hi Glenwood73,

I had a septoplasty for the same reasons as you and unfortunately, it didn't help me. But the surgery has helped alot of people. Here is a link to many forum posts discussing the procedure.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... m&start=10

You also might want to a general google search on septoplasties as there is alot of information.

Good luck with your decision.

49er

[Okie bipap]

I had a deviated septum corrected several years ago. At the same time, I had UPPP surgery and turbinate reduction in an attempt to keep from using cpap. I managed to put off pap usage for a little over 15 years. I would highly recommend the septoplasty just to make breathing easier when you are not sleeping.

[chunkyfrog]

Don't let anyone touch your healthy uvula.
My dentist had his trimmed, and now he gets food up his nose.

[englandsf]

The key question is can you breathe through your nose or do you need a full face mask so you an breathe through your mouth? I have a deviated septum but find a nasal pillow mask (P10) actually blows the nostril open even at 11 pressure.

[Captain_Midnight]

...deviated septum and oversize uvula in throat... nose is very crooked and he would do surgery but it will not help my sleep apnea at all..

Has anyone had this surgery and did it help ?

I have what you have, and hence have been an undiagnosed apneic since a playground injury early in my childhood.

In my early twenties, I did have surgery (called a sub-mucous re-section). I could breath better, but I doubt that it helped my (yet to be diagnosed) OSA (which was finally diagnosed in my 50s)

I've read other patients having a deviated septum or broken nose and then discovering OSA. When your air intake system is re-arranged, it's rarely for the better.

As for the uvula, that's a confounder. Either of these causes OSA.

And, I can report after 11 years of never missing a night, xpap is a miracle treatment for what I (and very possibly you) have.

Oh, and would I get the surgery again, even if it didn't help the OSA? Yup.

Good luck w your decision and therapy.

.

[Captain_Midnight]

And to echo what Ms Frog said, I don't hear much positive about uvula reduction surgery. I might prefer to skip that one.

[p7m8jg]

I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction. My surgeon was a specialist in facial reconstruction. I think he crushed one opening to my skull to be larger than it had been, making it easier to breathe. He's retired now, so I cannot tell you exactly what he did.

But it was a life-changer for me. Before surgery the little camera that's inserted up the nostril only went through on the right side, the left side was a "no-go" and stopped after 1/2 an inch or so.

After the surgery, I no longer have to breathe through my nose when eating meals due to allergies / plugged nostrils, etc. At night when I use my CPAP I "believe" it works so much better than it did before I had the surgery. I can breathe!!!

My son went to the VA to get his septoplasty, they didn't do a turbinate reduction, I doubt they crushed the nostril into the skill 'open" and he tells me it is nowhere as life-changing as mine has been.

So you get what you pay for, bargain for, discuss with your doctor for. Mine did me wonders.

FWIW.

[Uncle_Bob]

I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction. A very positive experience for me. Both on and off CPAP. I've got no experience regarding the uvula though.

[glenwood73]

Don't let anyone touch your healthy uvula.
My dentist had his trimmed, and now he gets food up his nose.

Lol !! Ouch !!

[glenwood73]

The key question is can you breathe through your nose or do you need a full face mask so you an breathe through your mouth? I have a deviated septum but find a nasal pillow mask (P10) actually blows the nostril open even at 11 pressure.

I can breathe on the left side pretty well, right nostril not very well at all.. ENT said my nose was a mess, thanks doc !!

[glenwood73]

And to echo what Ms Frog said, I don't hear much positive about uvula reduction surgery. I might prefer to skip that one.

My ENT said the surgery would not help my sleep apnea at all, but it may help me breathe better, the uvula part I think I would pass on because at my age (62) I do not need to take a chance of loosing my voice or something... How long were you laid up ?

[Okie bipap]

The recovery from the angioplasty took about four weeks. I had splints in my nose for about a week, then had three or four follow up visits with the doctor. I was actually breathing better through the splints than I did before the surgery.