How many have had surgey and are still on cpap?

[sleepless4boymom]

I hope I am not beating a dead dog but I have tried searching for UPPP surgery here and do not get much info. I would like to know how many of you have had surgery and are still using a cpap. If you don't mind sharing what your apneas were before and after surgery or any experience or where I might go to help me make an educated decision. I have been lurking around on the internet about this for about a month and it is difficult to find much info. There are a few blogs, one good outcome one not so good. I am having a difficult time thinking about being hooked to a hose the rest of my life. There seem to be many here unhappy with the treatment, there has got to be something better! I just don't know what it is! Thanks for all your help!
Sara

[BlackSpinner]

You have to remember people come to a site like this because they have problems, not so much because they are happy and satisfied. I am very happy with my cpap. I came to the site for more information and help with the mask. I stayed because I liked to give back.

I don't like wearing a bra for my watermelons either but I am sure not going to have surgery in order to get little perky boobs.

[twokatmew]

I don't like wearing a bra for my watermelons either but I am sure not going to have surgery in order to get little perky boobs.

I'm with you, BlackSpinner! Having had nine surgeries that were not optional, I'd never consider surgery if other treatments were available.

[BeanMeScot]

I don't think a UPPP is the answer. From what I have read, the surgery pain is horrendous and it doesn't always work. And for those for whom it doesn't work, trying to then use the CPAP is MUCH worse because the natural structures in the throat are gone. If I was going to do surgery, I want something that is very close to 100% successful. Otherwise, I would rather wait until something comes along that is that successful.

[builta]

Hi,

I had UPPP back in 1987 and it seemed to work for years. Ultimately, apnea returned and I'm now on BiPAP for about a year now. I'd say I got a good 15 years out of my surgery but the last 6 were a slow relapse.

[BiPappy]

I hope I am not beating a dead dog but I have tried searching for UPPP surgery here and do not get much info. I would like to know how many of you have had surgery and are still using a cpap. If you don't mind sharing what your apneas were before and after surgery or any experience or where I might go to help me make an educated decision. I have been lurking around on the internet about this for about a month and it is difficult to find much info. There are a few blogs, one good outcome one not so good. I am having a difficult time thinking about being hooked to a hose the rest of my life. There seem to be many here unhappy with the treatment, there has got to be something better! I just don't know what it is! Thanks for all your help!
Sara

Many will tell you that surgery is not worth the pain and risks, and quite frankly, it usually doesn't cure OSA. The doctors will tell you that there is a 60% success rate with UPPP but that percentage is overly exaggerated. My doctor told me that I would be cured of OSA after my UPPP procedure, and I was thinking BS. I've done my research, and my research indicated that UPPP will not cure OSA. However, UPPP will help reduce the severity of OSA to some degree with certain patients.

I had a turbinate bicoblation, tonsillectomy, and UPPP. The tonsillectomy and UPPP were performed at the same time. Unfortunately, for me, I had bleeding complications 7 days after my tonsillectomy-UPPP procedure and my vitals crashed while checking into the ER. So, this a risk patients need to be aware of.

Fast forward, I think it's worth it to give the procedure a try if your insurance will cover it. My insurance covered all 3 procedures and I only paid a $100 copay. The costs were so low, for me, that I took the chance and had these procedures done. Sure, I had post-op complications, but I think it's worth it to see if UPPP would cure my OSA or at least reduce the severity of it. It's better to try than to wonder if UPPP would have cured my OSA.

My AHI before the procedure was 70 and required 14cm, but I found myself needing 16cm - 18cm. I don't know what my AHI is after the procedure, but my current CPAP pressure requirements is between 8cm - 11cm, depending on the mask I use, with AHI consistently below 4. If you have these procedures done with the expectation that it will hopefully reduce the severity of your OSA and CPAP pressure requirements, then I think you are a good candidate for these procedures.

I'm an overnight success with CPAP therapy, but I hate being a hose head.

Good luck.

[robertmarilyn]

I hope I am not beating a dead dog but I have tried searching for UPPP surgery here and do not get much info. I would like to know how many of you have had surgery and are still using a cpap. If you don't mind sharing what your apneas were before and after surgery or any experience or where I might go to help me make an educated decision. I have been lurking around on the internet about this for about a month and it is difficult to find much info. There are a few blogs, one good outcome one not so good. I am having a difficult time thinking about being hooked to a hose the rest of my life. There seem to be many here unhappy with the treatment, there has got to be something better! I just don't know what it is! Thanks for all your help!
Sara

I had UPPP surgery 15 years ago. I was told that CPAP wasn't an option for me before my surgery. My recovery was very painful but after I was over the recovery part, I felt much better for more than 10 years. I do think I was left with residual tiredness and I may still have needed to be on a CPAP after the surgery but since I didn't have a sleep test after the surgery, I don't know if I would have shown any apneas or hypopneas.

I had a new sleep test in Feb (and in June) and am on CPAP now. I am having problems but I don't know if they have anything to do with the UPPP. I would look into all options thoroughly before having surgery. Including giving CPAP a try over a long period of time. And when trying CPAP, put all of your mind, body, and heart into making it work so that in the end, if you decide no surgery, you can be sure that you exhausted your CPAP options. Surgery is not reversible so you want to be sure that you had no other options before trying it.

mar (I don't regret having the surgery because it made a very good difference in my life, but from what I read, that is not the case for the majority of folks. Of course, maybe the successful UPPP folks don't need to be here on CPAPtalk..I just don't know.)

[SaltLakeJan]

Hi sleepless4boymom

Unfortunately, I joined the group that have had UPPP surgery. I began cpap in 1980. Got repeat conjunctivitis and finally had to quit cpap. My ENT Doc - told me he would guarantee I would never have to use cpap again if he did UPPP surgery for me. I investigated, but couldn't find anything on the internet about it in 1980. I had the surgery, he told me he recommended doing it as outpatient. I was semi-conscious when I was released. The Nurse warned my husband not to let me lie down until the bleeding stopped. He had to tie me to a recliner in our family room to keep me upright. I was in so much pain, I remember drifting in & out of consciousness. It was a horrible surgery. As I recovered, I could have popsicles. Anything else hurt my throat.

Eventually I did recover. My sleep apnea was reduced, however like almost everyone who has surgery, I still have to use cpap. Because the doctor trimmed all the flesh from the sides of my throat, My cheeks fill with air, rather than having it go down my throat.

When I went back to the doc for my first follow-up, I told him that as I was drifting off to sleep, I felt like apneas were happening. He told me it was just my imagination. It is my opinion that he knew that the surgery rarely worked.

It is harder for some people to adapt to using cpap at first. But it gets easier with time. I was apprehensive when I restarted cpap, but I found this forum, and my fears vanished. I cannot recommend the surgery, but every person has to make up their own mind. Good luck in your decision.

Jan

[6PtStar]

I have not had the surgery but I have 2 friends that have had it. It did not cure OSA in eather one of them!! It did reduce the pressure in both of them but both have had to go to a full face mask because of the air pressure comming out the mouth and not being able to keep the mouth closed. Both told me it created more problems than it fixed and was very painful.

Jerry

[BiPappy]

You can also try a dental TAP III device, which extends your lower jaw to open the airway to prevent apnea. This is a great option and I'm seriously considering it myself to use solely or to compliment my cpap therapy. However, it does degrade jaw alignment in some patients. You can find more info here:

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

Furthermore, if you go with the surgical route, it is imperative that you find a competent ENT, obviously.

[Wulfman]

I hope I am not beating a dead dog but I have tried searching for UPPP surgery here and do not get much info. I would like to know how many of you have had surgery and are still using a cpap. If you don't mind sharing what your apneas were before and after surgery or any experience or where I might go to help me make an educated decision. I have been lurking around on the internet about this for about a month and it is difficult to find much info. There are a few blogs, one good outcome one not so good. I am having a difficult time thinking about being hooked to a hose the rest of my life. There seem to be many here unhappy with the treatment, there has got to be something better! I just don't know what it is! Thanks for all your help!
Sara

63 pages of posts/threads is not enough?

OK. Here are the search parameters/link for it. You should just be able to click on it and get all 63 pages

search.php?keywords=UPPP

However, here are some more (some are included in and from the search).

viewtopic.php?t=2836

viewtopic/t41306/Coworker-died-from-OSA-operation.html

viewtopic/t43937/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39 ... PP#p343085

And, here's one from Wikipedia (that was also linked in one of the posts in the forum search).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPPP


Den

[Jason S.]

I have friend who had UPPP, totally cured his OSA, he no longer needs CPAP. I think he may be in the minority of success stories. Time will tell whether what was cut off will grow back.

[YouMaySayImaDreamer]

Hi and welcome,

As soon as I heard about sleep apnea, I was 99% sure I had it. That was about 10 years ago. I spent a good part of the past 10 years thinking that I should get checked out. Without much research at all, I had decided I was getting surgery because I didn't want to wear a mask.

Stories about success rates and side effects put me back on the fence. Then I had my sleep study, saw the oxygen desat and sleep disturbance with my own eyes. It was die early of congestive heart failure or get treatment. The doc said to try the cpap, then consider surgery if it was a total failure. I think we all feel a certain stigma, but cpap doesn't seem half as bad as I had made it out to be in my head.

News of my treatment has gotten several people I know thinking about getting sleep studies. Unfortunately, I find them in the old self-diagnosing treatment/mask aversion stage I used to be in. So, no one's getting a sleep study because they don't want to be told to get cpap. That's really putting the cart before the horse.

My advice: get a sleep study, THEN ponder the treatments with the help of a doctor. It will facilitate action, be it cpap or uppp.

Good luck!

[kopoloff]

I had a UPPP.

I lost 10kg, about 6 of them I didn't want, and 4kg that I did.

I lost the weight because i didn't eat anything for 10 days. 'Nil by mouth' ....nothing except painkillers and iced water, 4 hourly. 10 days of hell.

and at the end of it, I still had apnea, and stillsnored, although maybe not quite as bad according to Mrs Kopoloff

I think UPPP is what I would recommend for terrorists, drug dealers, tax inspectors and banana growers.

K

[Ellie May]

I am a nurse. About 10+ years ago I was involved in a study that was trying to find out what the most effective treatment was for sleep apnea. Each patient could choose what treatment they would like to try and it would be covered by the study. The choices were: LAUP, T & A, mouth guard appliance, and CPAP machine. I chose the LAUP because I felt like the other treatments were a "band-aide" type treatment. I had the LAUP (laser-assisted-uvulo-plasty) surgery X4 and the doctor wanted to it again!! Each time, would laser off a little more tissue. I hated it, but persevered because I thought it would remedy my situation. WRONG! To make a long story short I resorted to the use of a CPAP machine. --best idea.
The study did prove that CPAP was the best treatment. If someone had marginal sleep apnea, the other threatments may have been helpful, but the widespread accepted treatment for sleep apnea is the CPAP. If you use the Nasal Pillows by Mirage , it is very acceptable. Good luck on making the right decision!