CPAPtalk.com

timbalionguy wrote: I found in researching all over the web that the worse your OSA is, the less effective alternative therapies are. And my doctor concurred.

That conclusion is challenged.



Many think the probability of success of an oral appliance is inversely related to the severity of OSA. It is common to read here (I have posted it myself) that oral appliances might work for mild to moderate OSA and are very unlikely to work for severe OSA.

Go read this article:

Most literature states that oral appliance treatment of OSA should be reserved for mild to moderate cases.1-3 Our findings4,5 are that it is not the severity of OSA that predicts the success of oral appliance treatment, but the site of closure (velopharynx—high, oropharynx—mid, and hypopharynx—low).
................. Oral appliances need not be reserved for mild to moderate OSA cases.

http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/issues/ar ... -10_11.asp

Or this one:

Mandible advancing oral appliance seems not to be effective in reducing the AHI value in mild cases. However, it seems to be especially effective in reducing the apnea/hypopnea index in moderate and even certain severe OSA patients.
http://iadr.confex.com/iadr/papf09/webp ... 26401.html

"It's not the severity, it is the anatomy."

But don't forget, the portion of patients who can effectively be treated by oral appliances seems to be quite low. For now, CPAP remains the number one therapy for the patient population in general.

See a discussion on cpaptalk at viewtopic.php?f=1&t=44181&p=393400&hilit=+jaw#p393400

It is my belief that non-PAP treatments as an initial step should generally be reserved for mild to moderate cases because one is less likely to die from mild OSA, so it is more acceptable to pussyfoot around with non-PAP treatments.

It is also my belief that "effective in reducing" can be a very misleading concept when it comes to something like OSA. Mathematically speaking, the more events you have, the more "effective" doing anything might seem to be--but not so much because of the effectiveness of the treatment but because of the severity, the high baseline you are measuring from. Even percentages start getting misleading with high AHI, since there is a definite line as far as the number of events that matter.

So it depends on how you measure success when it comes to such lies, damn lies, and statistics.

As a second-best thing for someone who ain't gonna do CPAP, for whatever reason, then sure, something is better than nothing. But that doesn't elevate the reputation of those particular somethings, in my book.

jeff

Aviator, you sound agitated and frightened, very much like my husband did before his "underlying medical disorder" was diagnosed as OSA. And guess what, you quoted our ENT, Cardiologist and Primary Dr exactly. They also consider cpap therapy the "Gold Standard" for treating OSA. As I write this I can hear the gentle hum of my husband's cpap machine giving him restful and restorative sleep, and I will always be grateful to this support forum for making that possible. And by the way,sir, your post was not "respectful" in any way!

Oh, I was wondering if it would be Rooster or jnk who would mention Dr. Steven Park.

DoriC wrote: . . . Oh, I was wondering if it would be Rooster or jnk who would mention Dr. Steven Park.

Rooster and I have decided to take turns, just to irritate Autopapdude.

Asteroid, asteroid, can't catch me!
Asteroid, asteroid, ELE!!

Now? How 'Bout Now? Now?

Muffy

jnk wrote: Rooster and I have decided to take turns, just to irritate Autopapdude.

No fair!!! Don't *I* get to play?

Sometimes I worry about Muffy.

I wish SAG were here. Maybe he could help her.

I think it's the CO2 talkin'!

Or singing, as the case may be...

rooster wrote:

timbalionguy wrote: I found in researching all over the web that the worse your OSA is, the less effective alternative therapies are. And my doctor concurred.

That conclusion is challenged.

You seem to be supporting that conclusion, not challenging it

aviator202 wrote:I have read many, many posts on this board...And I have come to a conclusion....

My opinion, after long and careful study of the posts, is that ... bla bla bla blaa ....

So we're supposed to be getting paid to post here?

That's awsome! I was already obliged to expect a Scrooge of a Christmas season.

How soon do we get our pay checks? Who do we contact?



RE: OP's skepticism ... I'll be glad to flame. First of all read the NAME of the forum ... what does it say? Does it say Pillar Procedure, LAUP, UPX3, or et al FORUM?

Which is more lucrative? The surgery industry or CPAP industry ... try a Google search?

Which has the better benefit to risk ratio? I have not heard of any deaths from CPAP use. Surgery on the other hand ... well sh%t happens ... every day all the time?

My opinion is that you sir, madam, troll, fly-by-night surgeon, or what ever you are, are the propagandist making false claims about the employment of the fine members of this forum.

One thing I do agree with you however is that CPAP "is" the "gold standard" for treating OSA and this forum is the "gold standard" for learning about such a gold standard, regardless of who runs the forum.

BTW - I noticed that you flew away pretty quickly after your trolling post ... bye!!

LinkC wrote:

jnk wrote: Rooster and I have decided to take turns, just to irritate Autopapdude.

No fair!!! Don't *I* get to play?

No, I put you in "time out" after that "other" thread with Autopapdude!

Y'all are funny!!! AND you ran off our paid-surgical-"retired nurse"-patsie-poster!!!!! It's a Christmas Miracle!!!

Posts from the operators of the service are pretty rare, so you'd have to believe that those who do post are impostors, I guess. Impostors who keep saying good things about cpap and bad things about other alternatives. That seems unlikely.

As others have said, many of us arrive after already beginning cpap treatment. We've already gone to the solution recommended by their doctor. After we've found this place, I suppose the above impostors could reinforce the goodness of cpap and the wrongness of other choices, so nobody changes their treatment...

I like a good conspiracy theory as much as the next person, but I don't see any conspiracies here.

Be careful JimIllinois,
I heard that all of the conspiracy nuts are secretly getting together to gang up on the rest of us.

DoriC - You are a HOOT!!!! You're probably the only person on this whole board that LinkC might let get away with that.