Not sure what to do ??

Hello, im a 29 year old male in good physical health, not overweight or anything and have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. Ive just concluded my sleep study sessions and am having a hard time deciding between the cpap machine or surgery. The technician and my doctor both said that the13+ cm it took to get the sleep apnea under control was on the high side of what is considered acceptable. On top of that as i said im only 29 and live a very active life style and im not certain lugging this thing all over for potentially another 60 years is an ideal scenario. Anyways i would really appreciate some insight or suggestions from people. Thanks

I have yet to speak with anyone for whom the surgery was a PERMANENT fix. They may be out there, but I don't know of any.

Whether or not to have some surgical procedure is certainly going to be based on exactly what surgery they're talking about, exactly what the cause of your apnea is and probably a whole host of smaller questions.

GET A COPY of your sleep study results. The whole thing, not just a summary page. If anyone gives you a hassle about it, tell them "I want it for my records". AND HANG ON TO IT.

As far as "lugging" something around for 60 years.... you normally just leave it on your nightstand next to your bed. Not a lot of lugging involved with that part. If you travel, well... I've taken mine all over the US and Canada as well as the Caribbean. Not much to it. It travels fine and it's very small. You just THINK it's hard or inconvenient because you haven't done it. Piece of cake.

Others will probably jump in here with more pointed questions.

Hi Yamahadude...
You expressed your question as if it were a simple choice between one or the other. The surgeries don't always work...and you could still end up on cpap.

One comment someone here on the forum said about surgeries that struck me as significant. What they remove...can't be put back again. Implying that any side-effect of the surgery (if any) would be with you for the rest of your life.

I would strongly suggest that you give cpap a try and do some personal research on surgical options including a second and perhaps even a third opinion.

Jamis (an old Yamaha guy myself...drove a Virago 920)

From all I've heard, the surgeries are not necessarily always successful and as already mentioned, there's a good chance you'll end up with cpap anyway.

And remember, if you start with cpap, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be on it forever either. The medical community is still learning about sleep apnea and ways to treat it so one day in the future we all may have a better way to treat it that may not require surgery or a machine.

Personally, I'd go with the non-surgical option first and save surgery as a last resort. Stay abreast of current events regarding sleep apnea and it's fixes and hopefully that day will arrive.

13 plus isnt really high, also the severity of apnea shouldnt be judged by the pressure, some severa apnea sufferers have low pressures

As for the surgery, I cannot speak for myself, but my wife first visited a ENT. She had a deviated septum repaired, nasal turbinate reduction and sinusplasty done about 1 year ago. She was told by her ENT that this would take care of all her problems. 1 year later she is on CPAP anyway. I would give CPAP a try and see how it works as you can always elect to have the surgery later.

Dave

Welcome to the board. Based on prior discussions, there's quite a few users in your age range. I can imagine that getting this diagnosis earlier in life would feel different that when I got mine. Hopefully your younger diagnosis means you'll avoid some of the consequences of a later diagnosis. For me it dragged on until I spent a lot of years in a miserable blur and lost a career I loved.

With a diagnosis of severe OSA, I'd be careful about placing too much stock in other treatment options, but maybe thinking about it in terms of the rest of your life won't be necessary. Things change, technology changes. But at this time you can take comfort in that for the vast majority of those with this diagnosis, CPAP is an effectively treatment. At the very least, you can get stabilized and have time to thoroughly evaluate other options and not make a hasty or even regrettable decision. I'm sure some others will weigh in who have had personal experience with surgery. I think the chances of success are better in mild or moderate cases, but there are a combination of procedures people have done in hopes of helping their OSA. It may depend on which of the procedures is chosen. I've had 3 friends have surgery that included removal of the uvula, but I have no idea the severity of their OSA. Their results were less than stellar. Would you still want surgery if it only reduced your pressure needed from CPAP? Yes, a pressure of 13 is starting to get a little high. It's what I use, but I had the chance to work up to that from initially starting at 10, so it wasn't a shock to me. Got a friend whose pressure needs are in the mid 20s. I'm just glad to not be him!

Just opinion here, but I would not make surgery my first choice, but I'm like that about everything, maybe to a fault. You can get lots of direction and support here in making CPAP work for you if that's the decision you make. Best wishes.

yarbird sorry for the stupid question but why should i ask for a copy of the sleep study reports, are they easy to understand ?

kteague you struck on a point that i was thinking about that if i have a surgery it may not cure me 100% but i could potentially go to a lower pressure on the cpap machine. For me it was very uncomfortable i felt like i couldnt get rid of air and was constantly being forced air. It wasnt the best night of my life thats for sure.

Gonna setup an appointment with my primary care physician to way the options but im still at a loss as what to do, id really like to avoid the surgery too but on the flip side i dont know if i cant handle 13-14 on the cpap machine on a regular basis.

BTW is the nasal pillow the only option if you have a full beard with a mustache ? Thanks for all the replies i really appreciate it !

kteague you struck on a point that i was thinking about that if i have a surgery it may not cure me 100% but i could potentially go to a lower pressure on the cpap machine. For me it was very uncomfortable i felt like i couldnt get rid of air and was constantly being forced air. It wasnt the best night of my life thats for sure.

This takes some getting used to, plus some tweaking of machine settings and masks to feel comfortable. My pressures are higher than that, and I don't feel uncomfortable at all. It wasn't easy to get used to at first, but now when I wake up it feels so good I'm actually reluctant to take my mask off. I love weekends when I can lie there and enjoy it for a little while.

So don't make a hasty decision about surgery. Get a machine, and (with our help) you can learn to be quite comfortable with it. Then you can decide if you want to pursue surgery and do a LOT of research before you make your final decision. Once the CPAP is working for you, your head will be much clearer and you can make a reasoned and informed decision that may not be possible right now.

yamahadude9 wrote:BTW is the nasal pillow the only option if you have a full beard with a mustache ? Thanks for all the replies i really appreciate it !

I use the Fitlife Total Facemask from Repironics. It advertises that it is for men with beards... I don't have one.... just sayin'


Sheriff

yamahadude9 wrote:BTW is the nasal pillow the only option if you have a full beard with a mustache ? Thanks for all the replies i really appreciate it !

Regarding facial hair, there's a short thread on the subject that may help viewtopic.php?f=1&t=70556&p=652386&hilit=beard#p652386

Regarding the nasal pillows, the only issue you'd have would be if you are a mouth breather when you are asleep. If you are, you can lose therapy through your mouth and either need to go to a full face mask or have to try one of the various methods of oral chastity such as taping your mouth shut, chin straps, placing your tongue to the roof of your mouth and more. There are probably plenty of threads on that subject as well.

Good luck!

*

dude.. Many good thoughts and comments have been made, so far, from people with years of experience on CPAP use and surgery. I expect to see many more.

my suggestion... you have probably had apnea for quite awhile already, so a rush to treatment might be detrimental. Youth is on your side. Take your time with your options and decisions. Do talk it over with your medical professionals. Read, read and learn about the whole subject. This site is your gold mine of apnea information. It is loaded with info from masks to machines to treatments. Personally, I would indeed try the CPAP avenue first. Its non-invasive. As one poster said, there is a risk of CPAP useage even after the "no sure thing" surgery. Good Luck.

Hello yamahadude. What is considered successful sleep apnea surgery to an ENT may not be what you consider a success, I believe that what MDs a consider a success is a 50% reduction in CPAP pressure needs. (someone correct me if I've misstated) . A pressure of 13 may take a bit of getting used to, but is certainly not "high" . I use 12-15, don't notice it at all anymore; and BIPAP is also a consideration. I sure couldn't see myself sleeping hooked up to a machine every night when I first got diagnosed, and asked about other options, but CPAP turned out to be the best, really the only option. It truly will become No Big Deal, and not interfere with your life. Most important, you will have your health to enjoy that active life, just by having some air blown up your nose while you sleep. I wouldn't rush into surgery , get a pap, , you'll get lots of help here, I bet you'll feel differently when you are used to it and feel the benefits of good sleep. Kathy
PS I used to have a really sweet 1974 Yamaha 200. , now riding a Vespa 250. ( yes I know, my hubby calls it a chick bike also )

Like the others say, 13 cm is not excessively high. It doesn't take terribly long to get used to it--with the right-fitting mask.
Many machines have exhale relief--Insist on it. As for data, read Rested girl's stuff. She is right.