The Pillar Procedure

[Guest]

Does anyone know anyone who had the Pillar Procedure? If so, did it work, was there any complications? The company that invented the Pillar Procedure is Restore Medical, Inc. and their stock has been declining steadily from $9.00 a share to $1.08 currently which makes
me suspicious of the procedure.

The below two paragraphs describe the Pillar Procedure.

During the Pillar Procedure, the physician uses topical and local anesthetics to numb the soft palate tissue, and then individually implants three Pillar inserts into the muscle of the soft palate at the junction of the hard and soft palate using our specially-designed, single-use delivery tool. Each precisely braided Pillar insert is approximately 18 mm (0.7 inches) in length and has an outer diameter of 2 mm (0.08 inches). We braid our Pillar inserts to our precise specifications from a polyethylene terephthalate fiber that has been used for many years in implantable medical products such as surgical sutures and heart valve cuffs. Each patient receives three Pillar inserts as part of the Pillar Procedure. The Pillar inserts are placed as closely as possible to each other without touching (approximately 2 mm apart) to achieve maximum stiffening.

The implantation of the Pillar inserts into the soft palate tissue triggers the body’s natural fibrotic response to injury and the introduction of foreign bodies, which stimulates tissue growth into and around the inserts, resulting in a fibrotic tissue encapsulation of the implant. The proprietary surface texture of the Pillar inserts promotes this tissue in-growth, serving to anchor the Pillar inserts in the soft palate. In addition to the structural support provided by the inserts themselves, this natural fibrotic response into and around the implants further stiffens the soft palate tissue, effectively acting to “extend the hard palate,” and thereby reducing or eliminating the soft palate tissue flutter that causes snoring and the retropalatal collapse that can obstruct the airway and cause OSA.

[DreamStalker]

Well I doubt the forum members around here are going to help increase the value of the stock ... we use CPAP around here ... hence the name of the forum cpaptalk.com


btw- I have noticed a bit of pillar implant spamming around here lately

[NeedinZs]

Don't hold me to this, but I believe this is the procedure my ENT told me he had only performed 3 of. This is a man who has been around the block quite a few times.
He said so far, none of them were showing any great success, so he wouldn't really recommend it. He said one of the patients wife could tell a slight difference, but the other 2 not any improvement.

A magic pill would be nice!!

[Snoredog]

[quote="Anonymous"]Does anyone know anyone who had the Pillar Procedure? If so, did it work, was there any complications? The company that invented the Pillar Procedure is Restore Medical, Inc. and their stock has been declining steadily from $9.00 a share to $1.08 currently which makes
me suspicious of the procedure.

The below two paragraphs describe the Pillar Procedure.

During the Pillar Procedure, the physician uses topical and local anesthetics to numb the soft palate tissue, and then individually implants three Pillar inserts into the muscle of the soft palate at the junction of the hard and soft palate using our specially-designed, single-use delivery tool. Each precisely braided Pillar insert is approximately 18 mm (0.7 inches) in length and has an outer diameter of 2 mm (0.08 inches). We braid our Pillar inserts to our precise specifications from a polyethylene terephthalate fiber that has been used for many years in implantable medical products such as surgical sutures and heart valve cuffs. Each patient receives three Pillar inserts as part of the Pillar Procedure. The Pillar inserts are placed as closely as possible to each other without touching (approximately 2 mm apart) to achieve maximum stiffening.

The implantation of the Pillar inserts into the soft palate tissue triggers the body’s natural fibrotic response to injury and the introduction of foreign bodies, which stimulates tissue growth into and around the inserts, resulting in a fibrotic tissue encapsulation of the implant. The proprietary surface texture of the Pillar inserts promotes this tissue in-growth, serving to anchor the Pillar inserts in the soft palate. In addition to the structural support provided by the inserts themselves, this natural fibrotic response into and around the implants further stiffens the soft palate tissue, effectively acting to “extend the hard palate,” and thereby reducing or eliminating the soft palate tissue flutter that causes snoring and the retropalatal collapse that can obstruct the airway and cause OSA.

[Titrator]

Stocks are funny, the day Apple released the iPhone their stock dropped 6%. The stock price has to do with many factors that may have no bearing on the product itself. I would check Google Finance if you want the skinny on Restore.

Ted

[haynow2b]

I thought this was a fourm that was open to any types of treatment that may be helpful. I wasn't aware it had to be cpap.

[Snoredog]

[quote="haynow2b"]I thought this was a fourm that was open to any types of treatment that may be helpful. I wasn't aware it had to be cpap.

[rotoplooker]

I think it's pretty narrow-minded to avoid talking about any kind of surgical procedure when many surgical procedures can help a person tolerate CPAP therapy a whole lot better.

1 - The internet is more of a cauldron of doom than a place where successful experiences are posted, certainly in terms of surgery experiences. I do see a few though, sometimes - good and bad, but more bad.

2 - There is an implied belief here that a person should tolerate CPAP in time, but the reality of it all is that often, many people don't tolerate it ever.

3 - Whilst surgery is a last resort for many, CPAP is still a crutch, even though it's a great and life changing thing for many people.

4 - if you can afford the pillar procedure and it lowers your AHI by 10, you'd dig it, I know I would.

It's pretty easy to poo-poo something you haven't tried, don't have the 'balls' to try, or believe all the hype about (or lack of hype) Some people just have soft pallet obstruction problems, it could well be an effective solution for them.

Sleep well y'all

[Snoredog]

I think it's pretty narrow-minded to avoid talking about any kind of surgical procedure when many surgical procedures can help a person tolerate CPAP therapy a whole lot better.

1 - The internet is more of a cauldron of doom than a place where successful experiences are posted, certainly in terms of surgery experiences. I do see a few though, sometimes - good and bad, but more bad.

2 - There is an implied belief here that a person should tolerate CPAP in time, but the reality of it all is that often, many people don't tolerate it ever.

3 - Whilst surgery is a last resort for many, CPAP is still a crutch, even though it's a great and life changing thing for many people.

4 - if you can afford the pillar procedure and it lowers your AHI by 10, you'd dig it, I know I would.

It's pretty easy to poo-poo something you haven't tried, don't have the 'balls' to try, or believe all the hype about (or lack of hype) Some people just have soft pallet obstruction problems, it could well be an effective solution for them.

Sleep well y'all

tell ya what Roto, go have the procedure done then come back in 6 months with your follow-up PSG in hand and report your success story, that way there will be at least 4 success stories for us to read (out of the 25,000+ or so times its been performed).

We didn't say there wasn't a sucker born every day.

[rested gal]

I thought this was a fourm that was open to any types of treatment that may be helpful. I wasn't aware it had to be cpap.

You're exactly right, haynow2b. As far as I'm concerned this forum IS open to discussion of any types of treatment for OSA. I've never seen the forum administrators issue a policy notice that all treatment discussions had to deal only with "cpap" treatment.

Personally, I want to be informed through reading this message board about anything/everything that has to do with treatment, or possible treatment, of OSA. Doesn't mean I want to try something else (I'm quite well treated and comfortable with cpap) but I'm always interested in reading about what's out there in the way of treatment options.

Heck, there's been discussion on this board of playing the didgeridoo to improve throat muscle tone.

I agree with rotoplooker:

I think it's pretty narrow-minded to avoid talking about any kind of surgical procedure when many surgical procedures can help a person tolerate CPAP therapy a whole lot better.

Clickable LINKS to surgery, turbinates, Pillar, TAP experiences
viewtopic.php?t=2836

[rested gal]

it says at the top-left:

http://www.cpaptalk.com - A Forum For All Things CPAP

Think that pretty much says it all.

Fortunately it doesn't say:

A Forum For All Things CPAP and Nothing Else.

[Guest]

I think I know why i don't really want to share much here anymore, see you all in a few months (again)

[rotoplooker]

that was me, sorry for not logging in!

[Snoredog]

it says at the top-left:

http://www.cpaptalk.com - A Forum For All Things CPAP

Think that pretty much says it all.

Fortunately it doesn't say:

A Forum For All Things CPAP and Nothing Else.

yep and I read that to mean what the "MAIN" theme here is. Fact is I don't see anyone saying you cannot discuss other topics here, I see other topics discussed here all the time from essential oils to beer bellies to home remedy cures for bunions.

The only ones whining they cannot post what they want here is usually from the whiners and cryers diagnosed with a AHI=15 that couldn't tolerate CPAP at their high therapy pressure of 7 cm.

Then when those same whiners come back to post here all they can talk about is the negative artifacts of CPAP treatment and of course they leave out all the negative side effects of their treatment such as pain.

but if you are so intent on reading about Pillar here, why do we not see your contributions over on TAS in the Dental forum now where Pillar IS already freely discussed?

Here a link, you can read about it all you want:

http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/message-b ... m.php?f=10

[gasp]

[quote="haynow2b"]I thought this was a fourm that was open to any types of treatment that may be helpful. I wasn't aware it had to be cpap.