Low AHI/high RDI, considering surgery after seeing ENT

Hi All,

I was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea by a specialist after an in lab study. Been trying the CPAP for the last week. Saw an ENT and after doing an quick exam and looking at my CT scan, he said I have enlarged turbinates, very a deviated septum, a hole in the septum, and sinus blockage. He said that if I were to get surgery done, he expects that I will breathe easier through my nose and therefore be able to keep my mouth shut at night. He believes there is a strong likelihood that will fix my sleep issue, and said that in cases with low AHI/high RDI it's almost always nasal breathing problems that have to be fixed to fix the apnea. Has anyone in a similar boat had experiences with surgery? Did surgery eliminate the need for CPAP? I know there are similar questions to this on this site, but I'm hoping to hear experiences from people who are either 1) specifically low AHI/high RDI as I am or 2) had higher AHI than me but surgery lowered their AHI.

My sleep study results:

Overall RDI: 11.0
RDI during REM: 28.3
Overall AHI: 1.9 (9 apneas, 1 hypopnea)
AHI during REM: 7.8

Your very deviated septum would need correction, as well as the hole in the septum.
As for the sinus and turbinates, I would wait until after the nose heals,
and see how that improves things.
No sense going "whole hog" all at once just because the surgeon wants to build a beach house.

UphillRun wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:11 am

He believes there is a strong likelihood that will fix my sleep issue

I disagree with your doc on that. In sleep apnea, the blockage is further down in the airway where the soft palate and the back of the tongue collapse. But, otherwise, I agree with your doctor - the surgery will not only make it easier to use CPAP, but you will breathe better during the day. This will help your overall health. Get 'er done!

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:30 am

As for the sinus and turbinates, I would wait until after the nose heals,
and see how that improves things.
No sense going "whole hog" all at once

That would require two surgeries and two recoveries. Not advisable. But, I'm not sure what he means by "sinus surgery".

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:51 am

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 15, 2020 11:30 am

As for the sinus and turbinates, I would wait until after the nose heals,
and see how that improves things.
No sense going "whole hog" all at once

That would require two surgeries and two recoveries. Not advisable. But, I'm not sure what he means by "sinus surgery".

Knofe-happy surgeons like to "bundle", even though the more invasive surgeries
may not be needed if the basic procedures are done.
Again, paying for the beach house . . .
I would worry about exactly what is meant by "sinus" surgery,
especially when packaged with multiple procedures.
The patient's health may not be as important to the doc as money.
Two-fers are too often a sales pitch.
And the turbinates may improve with better airflow.
Google empty nose syndrome.

Given the severity of the problems, some surgical intervention sounds like a very good idea. How much? All at once? — Questions like that are what second opinions are great for. It can feel awkward to say your going to get one, but a good doc won’t mind at all and will understand that you take your health seriously and want to be able to make a fully informed decision.