Turbinate Reduction Surgery

[EdAPAP]

After almost a full year on BiPAP, my AHI was still fluctuating in the 8-12 range (original sleep study established AHI = 75).

The sleep lab suggested I see an ENT who is co-located in the same teaching hospital. He suggested that turbinate reduction surgery might be helpful. What are the pros and cons of this surgery? Is one method preferrable to another?

They also had me go through another titration test and recommended increasing BiPAP pressures to Inspiratory pressure = 18 cm and Expiratory pressure = 14 cm.

[Wulfman]

That subject comes up frequently, in one form or another.
Here's a post that was fairly recent that sort of intrigued me about it.

viewtopic/t35502/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35 ... te#p302459

Or, you can always go to the Search function and search on "turbinate" and read other threads.

Den

[jrt]

You should see at least a 2nd opinion before have ANY surgery done. I backed out of the turbinate surgery ENT #2 suggested because ENT #3 and #1 said no surgery was necessary. Dont forget to research side effects of surgery. People get intubated for many turbinate surgerys and if the breathing problem is mainly a small airway in the back of the mouth intubation is difficult and the metal blade used to open the airway to place the intubation tube can break teeth if not used carefully. Plus there is a problem called empty turbinate syndrone if too much nasal tissue is removed and it is not reverseable.

[ractar28]

I did NOT have this procedure, but I did have the UPP procedure. If I met my doctor in a dark alley, they might never find his body. It was painful, horrible, and most-importantly, didn't cure my issue.

Sadly, my doctor did tell me the risks and that it was about 50% successful or something similar, but I KNEW I'd be one of the "winners". I have more throat infections, frequent sinus issues, and the general feeling that "something ain't right back there".

I'm not suggesting that surgery is never the answer, just that it's too easy of an answer sometimes. Also, remember that a surgeon's job is to do surgery. I'm not saying that surgeons are only out to make money and sell you any surgery they can, just that YOU are the one that has to live with the effects (positive and negative), not the surgeon.

[Guest]

I backed out of the turbinate surgery ENT #2 suggested because ENT #3 and #1 said no surgery was necessary.

Just curious, if ENT #1 said No Surgery - why was there a 2 or 3?

Never have surgery on something you can live with - you can die or they can certainly make it much worse.

[Pinhead]

I talked to my Sleep Dr. about it and she was not a big fan. She the surgury is more art the science, its very hard to determine the right cuts.

She also said that after a few years you may end up back on a cpap.

Jack

[rjohanns]

I had the turbinate surgery before I had my sleep study. They were sure that my sleeping issues were due to my recurrent sinus infections. It is something that, for me, did not go well at all. I have had just as many, if not more, sinus infections as I had pre-surgery. I also have some serious nasal pain that I didn't have before the surgery. I was told that I did not have the "typical" recovery, but it was not something that I could recommend. YMMV

[jrt]

The reason I went to more than one ENT was because the first one would only give me nasal spray which only softed the snoring slightly and did nothing for the tiredness.

[Snoredog]

I had mine done over 25 years ago, they didn't have lasers back then so they just cut and chiseled them down, stitched the turbinate tissue back over them. They also fixed a deviated septum.

my daughter is scheduled for surgery to her nose next week, her ENT is going to use a laser to remove some polyps and open things up a bit. She has allergies and asthma pretty bad and talks all nasaly, hopefully it helps. She is young and doesn't have OSA, just difficulty breathing through her nose.

I wouldn't bother with CPAP therapy if I couldn't breathe through my nose first.

[xyz]

sd:
> I wouldn't bother with CPAP therapy if I couldn't breathe through my nose first.

What? That's not right at all!
There are those of us who will _never_ breathe normally through our noses.
And that's what FF masks are for.

Perhaps you meant turbinate reduction surgery instead.
I would wholeheartedly agree with that.
I had it done -- no effect. Worse, actually.