Questions about surgery

[Dimples]

Hi, I’m new here. Asking if anyone out there has had successful surgery??
I was diagnosed with OSA in September – I’ve been on a CPAP trial for 6 weeks now – so much better – no snoring, not feeling as tired and washed out. Tried a few masks – now using Swift FX with a ResMed AutoSet and humidifier. Have used it every night and getting good results with few leaks and much much lower AHI - averaging <3 (yes, I'm getting used to all these terms)
My CT scan showed a deviated septum and enlarged inferior turbinates. I’m seeing an ENT next week. I would like to go to that appointment fully informed. Has anyone had any success (or otherwise) for surgery for this?? Has it helped with OSA? I’ve read lots of threads here about surgery and it seems that some people have had a cure, but lots of others have had little benefit. I’m not sure I want to go through surgery if there are no guarantees of any benefit
Apart from the OSA, I always seem to have one nostril partially blocked, only breathe through one side at a time. I get lots of head colds, with terrible post nasal drip.
Is surgery likely help these problems, and/or the OSA??
What questions should I ask the ENT, and what can I expect?
Please help. Thanks

[cflame1]

Try this thread (warn you it's long)

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6078&p=538255&hilit ... ty#p538255

[DreamLady]

Hi Dimples,

It sounds like you are doing great with cpap therapy and are just about home-free!

I don't blame you one bit for being curious about surgery. And by all means, if it will help improve your condition, go for it! You should be aware, though (and perhaps you already know), that this may not be the only cause of your OSA. It might be worth having the surgery, though, on the chance that it will lower your pressure and/or improve your symptoms.

I also have a deviated septum, but after having several foot surgeries that didn't work as advertised, I'm reluctant to undergo any more surgery. I've found that Zyrtec nightly resolved the post-nasal drip, and reduces the sinus swelling to where I breathe easily. As for getting a lot of head colds, this sounds really simplistic; wash your hands religiously or use hand sanitizer, get plenty of sleep (good job on that one!), eat well, and take a good quality daily multi-vitamin. In addition, a once or twice daily nasal cleanse with a neti pot will reduce the number of head colds/allergies, and keep sinus swelling to a minimum. Many cases of frequent head colds are actually allergies in disguise.

[LSAT]

Current post....
viewtopic/t57981/Thank-you-to-the-CPAP- ... unity.html

[Thomas F.]

One month ago I had two surgical procedures done:

1. UPPP
2. Hyoid Advancement

I am still using my CPAP machine but I have been able to lower the pressure. My AHI is now around 1.0 and I was always around 10-15 prior to surgery.

3 times I have attempted to sleep without CPAP. I always wake up around 2am sweating, burning up, clear signs that I am having apnea or at least breathing resriction. Officially I have to wait 3 months after surgery for a sleep study to determine if the surgery eliminated the apnea. I think I already know the outcome for me --- surgery has helped but has not 100% eliminated the apnea.

[Mary Z]

Thomas, how bad was the surgery? I hear so many horror stories about how painful it all is.
Thanks,
Mary Z.

[M.D.Hosehead]

Hi, I’m new here. Asking if anyone out there has had successful surgery??
I was diagnosed with OSA in September – I’ve been on a CPAP trial for 6 weeks now – so much better – no snoring, not feeling as tired and washed out. Tried a few masks – now using Swift FX with a ResMed AutoSet and humidifier. Have used it every night and getting good results with few leaks and much much lower AHI - averaging <3 (yes, I'm getting used to all these terms)
My CT scan showed a deviated septum and enlarged inferior turbinates. I’m seeing an ENT next week. I would like to go to that appointment fully informed. Has anyone had any success (or otherwise) for surgery for this?? Has it helped with OSA? I’ve read lots of threads here about surgery and it seems that some people have had a cure, but lots of others have had little benefit. I’m not sure I want to go through surgery if there are no guarantees of any benefit
Apart from the OSA, I always seem to have one nostril partially blocked, only breathe through one side at a time. I get lots of head colds, with terrible post nasal drip.
Is surgery likely help these problems, and/or the OSA??
What questions should I ask the ENT, and what can I expect?
Please help. Thanks

I think you're smart to be cautious and skeptical and to ask a lot of questions.

Septum and turbinate surgery often helps breathing through the nose.

If nose blockage interferes with CPAP tolerance or effectiveness (it doesn't sound like you're in this category), then nose surgery may improve sleep apnea treatment.

Most people breathe through only one nostril at a time. That's called the "nasal cycle".

I'm skeptical your post nasal drip and frequent colds would be helped by surgery. I have the drip problem due to allergies (allergies can seem like "colds" too). I have a the septum and turbinate problem. I get along with antihistamines, nasal steroids, decongestants when needed, and Breathe-rites. I expect nose surgery might let me discontinue the Breathe-Rites, but I don't think it's worth it for me. YMMV.

[Thomas F.]

Thomas, how bad was the surgery? I hear so many horror stories about how painful it all is.

My UPPP & Hyoid advancement surgery was done outpatient. Surgery began at 7:30am and I was home at 4:30pm. I had almost no pain associated with the Hyoid surgery. The UPPP was quite painful for a few days during which I used a powerful painkiller. The painkiller made me drowsy so I slept a lot my first couple days after surgery. I ate soft foods like yogurt, noodles, protein shakes, for about 2 weeks. I only missed 5 business days of work.

I had a tonsillectomy 10 years ago (at age 40) and definitely had more pain from that surgery then the UPPP. For me, the pain has been worth it because it has enabled the CPAP therapy to work properly. I rarely had AHI < 10 before the surgery.

In your situation, if you are getting good sleep, feeling well rested, having a low AHI, I would not feel so compelled to have the surgery. You could try a full faced mask which offers you the option of mouth breathing if nose breathing gets worse from time to time with colds, etc.

Having said all that I have a friend that had surgery for deviated septum and he said the pain was not severe - back to work in 4 days.

[msla]

I had surgery for my deviated septum. It pinched a nerve on the turbinate on the other side causing massive headaches. The surgery solved that problem and breathing is easier now. I would do it again! I now use nasal pillows almost exclusively. I am a mouth breather with the chin strap and look like Marley's ghost when I go to bed.

[chunkyfrog]

Marley's ghost!
Reminds me of using the biker bandanna chinstrap and poli grip strips--grim I was.

[Dimples]

Thanks for your comments.
Can anyone who has "been there, done that" help me with what questions I should ask the ENT??
I'd like to be prepared to ask some intelligent questions and hopefully get the answers I need to help me understand everything, and be able to make an informed decision if he suggests surgery, or any other treatment.
Thanks

[D-10]

Thanks for your comments.
Can anyone who has "been there, done that" help me with what questions I should ask the ENT??
I'd like to be prepared to ask some intelligent questions and hopefully get the answers I need to help me understand everything, and be able to make an informed decision if he suggests surgery, or any other treatment.
Thanks

I hope everything works out for you. I am having trouble with my APAP and have been referred to an ENT as well. Like you I'm not sure exactly what I should ask them.

[Julie]

You could do a little test over a night or two to see if it helps - turn down your humidifier - it often causes congestion, or aggravates it. And while if you need turbinate surgery, you need it, but be very leery about being talked into UPPP surgery because while it often seems to help for a while, just as often the patients find they end up back on Cpap by the end of the year.

[Dimples]

Thanks for the suggestions.
I saw the ENT and turns out everythng is OK, and no need for any surgery.
He didn't seem all that convinced about CPAP, but basically said that if you think it works and you're prepared to use it - then go for it.
I know it does work, and I am prepared to use it, so I'm getting my own machine ASAP.
I got the feeling that he wasn't all that convinced about the seriousness of OSA!!, but I am, and my husband is too. He gets much more sleep now, because he's not being woken up by my snoring, and then kept awake waiting and waiting for me to start breathing again, and worrying about when I'll stop breathing again. 75+ seconds is a long time not to breathe!! and scary to watch.
So, with me on CPAP, we both get much more sleep, and are both much happier, and therefore the kids are happier too - - and that's gotta be worth every cent I'll be paying.
So, I 'm loooking forward to a long and happy relationship with my new machine.