Orthodontics can cause sleep apnea - Class Action Lawsuit

[CPAPIST]

overbite

Is that the same as a recessed chin?

[musculus]

I too am a victim of the scam that braces are. When I was little I had a severe overjet "buck teeth" they used to say. Adults and kids would always make fun of my teeth so I became very self-conscious and would cover my teeth when I laughed. My mom took me to the orthodontist when I was 13 for braces. They pulled a bunch of upper teeth and pushed my upper maxilla backwards over time with braces. Thus leaving me with a narrow airway and nowhere for my tongue to go but to fall backwards into my airway. Now I know that my lower jaw was actually under developed thus giving me the appearance of a severe overjet. Ever since getting the braces on I suffered from sleep problems, fatigue, cognitive problems, depression, anxiety etc. etc. I got the maxillo-mandibular advancement surgery in 2010. To me, I feel a great change in my appearance which I dislike. My nose is flatter and I already had a flat nose to begin with so I am unhappy about that but people have told me that they don't notice that much of a change. Unfortunately, the MMA didn't work for me I felt that it just created more room for my tongue to fall back in because afterwards, my RDI index was unchanged and I could actually feel my tongue collapsing at night which was quite jarring. I suppose I could have gotten more tongue surgeries but I was fed up with everything not working (including dental devices, cpap, bipap etc. So I finally was given a tracheostomy 2011. Now I finally have my life back. It as a high price to pay but I could not face living the rest of my life with sleep apnea.

Hi phoebe368, would you mind posting your cephalometrics before and after the MMA? Just curious why the MMA failed.

[phoebe368]

I am sorry but I don't have copies of the x-rays. I did see my post surgery x-ray, my airway was much wider than before. I felt about a 30-40% improvement but I was still very symptomatic and my RDI remained unchanged. I asked my surgeon why he thought it failed, he said it must be because I have a very collapsible airway. Another ENT said the tongue may be the culprit. Like I said previously, post surgery, I could literally feel my tongue collapsing in my airway right before I started to fall asleep which was so jarring I would wake up. I had to sleep on my side wearing a cervical collar with a sock tucked underneath my chin thereby tilting my entire head upwards thus opening my airway.

[ericob]

While I certainly think that re-tractive orthodontics can cause obstructive sleep apnea or help cause; I don't think there was any malice or negligence when I had that done to me. Do I think it exacerbated the issues? Yes, however I don't think the orthodontists were intentionally causing OSA. . . .

There are technical legal definitions for "negligence." For example, I don't think that a finding of negligence requires that someone do something with the intent of causing harm. Also, ignorance ("they didn't know...") could be a poor defense, if it can be shown that they should have known.

[Mabutu]

I am sorry but I don't have copies of the x-rays. I did see my post surgery x-ray, my airway was much wider than before. I felt about a 30-40% improvement but I was still very symptomatic and my RDI remained unchanged. I asked my surgeon why he thought it failed, he said it must be because I have a very collapsible airway. Another ENT said the tongue may be the culprit. Like I said previously, post surgery, I could literally feel my tongue collapsing in my airway right before I started to fall asleep which was so jarring I would wake up. I had to sleep on my side wearing a cervical collar with a sock tucked underneath my chin thereby tilting my entire head upwards thus opening my airway.

and now are you using a cpap/bipap attached to your trachy or no?

[phoebe368]

I don't use a cpap or bipap anymore. I just breathe through my stoma. The hole in my neck bypassed the upper airway so there is no need for a cpap/bipap. some people plug theirs during the daytime and leave it open only at night. I like to keep mine unplugged at all times.

[Mabutu]

cool , success at last !

Phoebe was the sleep improvement immediate after the trachy or over weeks or months? Do you sleep well now and awaken refreshed ?

[phoebe368]

I didn't feel an immediate improvement because the tracheostomy surgery itself causes a lot of mucus so breathing was difficult for the first 6 months or so - lots and lots of coughing and mucus sunctioning. I had to get a second surgery to remove scar tissue that had formed and enlarge my stoma. Also, my thyroid was in the way so they had to remove part of it. They said my remaining thyroid would produce enough hormones. Post surgery tests showed normal thyroid levels but I had symptoms of hypothyroidism i.e. fatigue, feeling cold, constipation, sleep problems etc. I didn't know what the problem was so I experimented on myself and bought thyroid meds from mexico which eliminated all my hypothyroid symptoms. I say it took about 2 years after the surgery to finally start sleeping better. If I had known that I was hypothyroid from the start then it would have been much sooner.

[Mabutu]

ok cool , thank you

best wishes to all pursuing class action , may the force be with you

[sickwithapnea]

is the skinlined trach much better than a regular one? were you really cured on a trach of centrals?

I'm on an 8mm and I can barely read and type. I think I felt better on the ASV and I'm 2 months post op. I don't have sharp clarity.

My soft palate was collapsing up into my nose and I have asthma where I can't exhale well

[Julie]

We have no answers about trachs... only your doctor can talk about your case.

[chunkyfrog]

quote="sickwithapnea"---("also posted as sleeprider")
Coincidence?

[nobody]

I wonder how this lawsuit worked out. The video posted was interesting.

[ChicagoGranny]

The OP's autobiographical blog is interesting (and painful) - http://www.righttogrow.org/omar_s_story

[hobbs]