Since I was never able to get used to sleeping with a CPAP (after 18 months of trying) I had a UPPP and Septoplasty performed last Thursday.
All in all I think the operation went a lot easier then I had anticipated because I've been reading the horror stories here and on other sites. Post-op pain has been pretty minimal. I went eight hours without pain meds last night and woke up to a slightly sore throat this morning.
The worst part for me is swallowing when the area that the ulva was in (which is currently stitched up) dries out from breathing through my mouth. That's when I get pain, and the medication doesn't mask it much. As long as I keep drinking water throughout the day and keep it moist I'm ok.
Recovering from UPPP
7 posts
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SelfSeeker
- Posts: 779
- Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 6:25 pm
Snowdog,
I hope you heal in no time.
I was going to ask the same question, what about a sleep study follow up to make sure you do not need CPAP anymore.
Cute picture.
I hope you heal in no time.
I was going to ask the same question, what about a sleep study follow up to make sure you do not need CPAP anymore.
Cute picture.
I can do this, I will do this.
My disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever worked in the health care field Just my personal opinions.
My disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever worked in the health care field Just my personal opinions.
Hey Snowdog
I've been contemplating a UPPP for a couple of weeks now. The ENT I saw thought I would be a great candidate and would have 75-80% success rate because I am not overweight, dont snore-so he is attributing my mild-moderate apnea to more of an anatomical reason....he says my uvula is pretty long.....Please keep us posted as to your progress and if you will have another sleep study done to see if you dont need CPAP any longer. I tolerate mine pretty well but certainly would love to not have it for the rest of my life......Also, what did you doc say about apnea problems returning after several months like many have reported on this site??
Thanks
I've been contemplating a UPPP for a couple of weeks now. The ENT I saw thought I would be a great candidate and would have 75-80% success rate because I am not overweight, dont snore-so he is attributing my mild-moderate apnea to more of an anatomical reason....he says my uvula is pretty long.....Please keep us posted as to your progress and if you will have another sleep study done to see if you dont need CPAP any longer. I tolerate mine pretty well but certainly would love to not have it for the rest of my life......Also, what did you doc say about apnea problems returning after several months like many have reported on this site??
Thanks
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curtcurt46
- Posts: 262
- Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:35 pm
- Location: Retired US Army
Snowdog,
I want to wish you a speedy recovery with little pain. I to had these procedures though done separately about 9 months apart. I was a good candidate for UPPP as I was not over weight and had mild sleep apnea. My follow-up sleep study from the UPPP showed that my apnea was about the same, but I had no desaturation during the night. The desaturation was a plus, but I still needed CPAP. The septoplasty and turbinate reduction really was the most beneficial as I am now able to breath through my nose and am able to use a nasal mask. My ENT gave me only about a 50% success rate. Even though it didn't cure my apnea, I am glad I had the procedures because I now have little or no desaturation. Also, the older we get the worse or apnea will get in light of our tissues and muscles becoming loser.
Hope you get the cure.
curtcurt46
I want to wish you a speedy recovery with little pain. I to had these procedures though done separately about 9 months apart. I was a good candidate for UPPP as I was not over weight and had mild sleep apnea. My follow-up sleep study from the UPPP showed that my apnea was about the same, but I had no desaturation during the night. The desaturation was a plus, but I still needed CPAP. The septoplasty and turbinate reduction really was the most beneficial as I am now able to breath through my nose and am able to use a nasal mask. My ENT gave me only about a 50% success rate. Even though it didn't cure my apnea, I am glad I had the procedures because I now have little or no desaturation. Also, the older we get the worse or apnea will get in light of our tissues and muscles becoming loser.
Hope you get the cure.
curtcurt46
Hi everyone,
Thanks for the well-wishes.
I'm going to talk to my regular doctor about a sleep study down the road once I've recovered completely. The comment was made early on once the decision was made for the surgery that I would be having one. Right now I was told that my Oxygen saturation level while at the hospital was outstanding.
My wife did tell me that I stopped breathing once last night but from what I've read about Codeine it can cause breathing issues. It even says on the bottle that high levels can cause you to stop breathing. I'm wondering if 25ml every four hours is considered "high". I took a dose at 6am this morning and haven't needed any for pain since. The only real pain I have is from my tongue rubbing on the stitches when I swallow and that's more annoying then anything because it's there and gone and Codeine doesn't do a darn thing for it.
I'll post again to let everyone know how I'm doing as the week progresses.
Thanks for the well-wishes.
I'm going to talk to my regular doctor about a sleep study down the road once I've recovered completely. The comment was made early on once the decision was made for the surgery that I would be having one. Right now I was told that my Oxygen saturation level while at the hospital was outstanding.
My wife did tell me that I stopped breathing once last night but from what I've read about Codeine it can cause breathing issues. It even says on the bottle that high levels can cause you to stop breathing. I'm wondering if 25ml every four hours is considered "high". I took a dose at 6am this morning and haven't needed any for pain since. The only real pain I have is from my tongue rubbing on the stitches when I swallow and that's more annoying then anything because it's there and gone and Codeine doesn't do a darn thing for it.
I'll post again to let everyone know how I'm doing as the week progresses.
I went off the Codeine entirely on Wednesday the 1st after spending a couple of days cutting down to make sure the pain wasn't bad. So less then a week on that. I took some liquid Tylenol a couple of times after that (mostly after pushing it and eating something a little harder then my throat was ready for ). I took the last dose of Tylenol on Friday the 3rd.
Last night I had my first (well-chewed) solid food. The wife bought a spiral-cut ham for dinner with her cousins and I wasn't going to turn that down. No pain on eating.
Still a little swelling where the stitches are but those should be desolving soon.
Sleep-wise I'm doing good. I'm not tired during the day anymore. The wife says I'm not snoring much and hasn't noticed my breathing stopping since I quit the codeine. Hopefully I've got this apnea thing kicked. I'm definately having a study again down the road to make sure but I'm feeling better then I have in ages.
Bottom-line, would I recommend the procedure? If the apnea is really gone then definately yes. There wasn't any point where I felt that the pain was unmanageable.
If insurance would have covered it I would have done the Pillar Procedure because that has the benefit of being out-patient and reversable but that seems to be a few years down the road yet (I contacted a local doctor that performs the procedure and they told me that there isn't a single insurance company that he knows of that covers it).
Last night I had my first (well-chewed) solid food. The wife bought a spiral-cut ham for dinner with her cousins and I wasn't going to turn that down. No pain on eating.
Still a little swelling where the stitches are but those should be desolving soon.
Sleep-wise I'm doing good. I'm not tired during the day anymore. The wife says I'm not snoring much and hasn't noticed my breathing stopping since I quit the codeine. Hopefully I've got this apnea thing kicked. I'm definately having a study again down the road to make sure but I'm feeling better then I have in ages.
Bottom-line, would I recommend the procedure? If the apnea is really gone then definately yes. There wasn't any point where I felt that the pain was unmanageable.
If insurance would have covered it I would have done the Pillar Procedure because that has the benefit of being out-patient and reversable but that seems to be a few years down the road yet (I contacted a local doctor that performs the procedure and they told me that there isn't a single insurance company that he knows of that covers it).
7 posts
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