CPAPtalk.com

This is the first time a man has ever said to me that he had a really long uvula.

I'm so intrigued, I want your phone number...

Seriously, though, I'm also a Uvula-Gifted person, and would love to have my removed. Snoredog's post here is making me question that. Maybe I'm getting a good mouth seal at night because of it.

Congratulations on your significant weight loss!!! I really need to get on that bandwagon.

Keep us posted!!!!!
B.

I have had UPPP surgery about 16 years ago now due to diagnosis of Sleep Apnea & after a year of CPAP machine. Even though post surgery, it was painful, it was the best thing I ever did and feel cured! No recurrence of OSA.

My surgery was done at Beth Israel (Boston) under Dr Strome.

-- Arvind

Have you had another study to prove it?

Just an observation:
While everyone who has responded here has NOT had success with the surgury, IF there is anyone out there that WAS cured long term of OSA, the likely wouldn't be lurking here. Folks tend to move on after awhile if there is a subject that no longer pertains to them.

That said, when my husband had his evaluation, he was told that he could have surgury but that it was very rarely successful in 'curing' OSA long term. This was a pulmonologist talking, though, not an ENT.

Congratulations on the impressive weight loss, and best of luck to you.

Le_Wif

I had my uvula removed years ago and don't have any problem with CPAP.

Does anyone know if Ted had the surgery and how he is doing? I hope things worked out for him!!

sleepycarol wrote:Does anyone know if Ted had the surgery and how he is doing? I hope things worked out for him!!

He didn't...not UPPP anyway.

Ted,

Fantastic weight loss - congratulations!

I hope that whatever you decide about surgery works out for you.

Mindy

Thanks Rested Gal for the update. I had just read his posts and was worried about him.

I have been reading your posts and find it very interesting. I have had sleep apnea for over 10 years now and unable to use CPAP because I was born with a cleft pallate and my sinus caveties did not develop equally, which makes breathing through CPAP very difficult. I had a tongue suspension two years ago, which did not work. I am now suffering from narcolepsy caused by lack of sleep and oxygen to my brain. My neurologist says that I am in stage two surgery, options being a trech or forwarding the upper and lower jaw. Does anyone have any suggestions?

michndallas wrote:I have been reading your posts and find it very interesting. I have had sleep apnea for over 10 years now and unable to use CPAP because I was born with a cleft pallate and my sinus caveties did not develop equally, which makes breathing through CPAP very difficult. I had a tongue suspension two years ago, which did not work. I am now suffering from narcolepsy caused by lack of sleep and oxygen to my brain. My neurologist says that I am in stage two surgery, options being a trech or forwarding the upper and lower jaw. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I guess I don't understand your condition but why would a full face mask not work?

Not sure, just that doctor told me that the reason the CPAP was not compatible was because I was not breathing through my nose the same in each nostral or something like that.

I don't think it matters if you can breathe through one nostril, two nostrils, three nostrils, or no nostrils ... as long as you can breathe through your mouth, a full face mask should work. I'm guessing it would be better than having your doc cut a gaping hole in your throat.

I would instead find another doctor for a second opinion.

DreamStalker is right. Even if a person could breathe only through one nostril, they can get perfectly good "CPAP" treatment.

With a Full Face mask, you can get treatment while breathing through mouth or nostrils -- either way.

If breathing through the nostrils (instead of the mouth) all it takes is being able to get air in through one nostril or the other.

In fact, when I had a bad cold and congestion, I was still able to use my pillows mask (Headrest). When I laid on my side, one nostril would be clear and the other (bottom one) blocked. I did really fine with this arrangement.

When I had a cold at first I also used a full face mask and breathed through my mouth. This worked just fine, too, except for some dryness, which I would have upped my humidification to solve.

Many doctors give bad advice about surgery. I had a specialist (endocrinologist who I see for another condition) insist that the cpap machine I was using was far inferior to surgery and I should have the surgery and be free of the machine. He said all this after I'd told him how happy I was with my treatment and how successful it has been. Some doctors just think surgery is the answer to everything.

I'd find a new doctor who favors the use of cpap machines and see what s/he has to say.