ISSS and AAO-HNSF 2023 Sleep Surgery Research Highlights

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Sleep Apnea, Surgery, Tongue Surgery.

Nashville, TN was the site of both the 2023 International Surgical Sleep Society (ISSS) Educational Symposium and American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting. It is always wonderful to see colleagues and long-time friends. However, I wanted to take the chance to share some of what I found to be… Read more »

New research evaluates trouble swallowing after sleep apnea surgery

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Sleep Apnea, Surgery, Tongue Surgery.

Surgery for obstructive sleep apnea often involves surgery of the throat that removes, repositions, and/or tightens tissue. Although the goal is to improve or eliminate the sleep apnea, the risks include the potential to disrupt normal function, especially speech and swallowing. Fortunately, speech changes have always been rare, but changes in swallowing have always been… Read more »

Advances in Sleep Apnea and Snoring 2022 Course Highlights

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Sleep Apnea, Snoring, Surgery, Tongue Surgery.

We have just completed the 27th Annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring course in San Francisco, California. It has been wonderful to be a co-director for about 15 years, and I learn so much myself in every course. This year we did something different: a virtual format! We can thank… Read more »

How long do the benefits of sleep surgery last?

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Surgery, Tongue Surgery.

Like most surgical treatments throughout medicine, research studies typically evaluate short-term outcomes. In sleep surgery, most studies report results at 3-6 months following surgery. There are notable exceptions – including 5-year outcomes reported for Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation in the STAR Trial presented at the Sleep 2017 meeting and then published in the medical journal… Read more »

Sleep Apnea Multilevel Surgery (SAMS) Randomized Trial: Surgery Improves the AHI and Sleepiness More than Conservative Treatment

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Sleep Apnea, Surgery, Tongue Surgery.

Well-done randomized trials offer the highest-quality scientific evaluation of any medical intervention. Unfortunately, randomized trials of surgical interventions are extremely difficult to perform, for numerous reasons. In sleep surgery, there have been a number of randomized trials showing that surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea can offer important benefits that matter to patients. These include… Read more »

Antibiotics are associated with lower odds of bleeding after soft palate surgery for OSA

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Sleep Apnea, Surgery.

One of the many benefits of working at an academic medical center is the opportunity to work with residents and fellows, where I am often explaining the research evidence supporting the decisions I make in taking care of patients. In every field of medicine, there are decisions that we make in the absence of perfect… Read more »

Does drug-induced sleep endoscopy improve surgical outcomes?

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Sleep Apnea, Surgery, Tongue Surgery.

One of the wonderful things about sleep surgery is that it remains a relatively small field. I have had the pleasure of getting to know leading sleep surgeons from around the world through various organizations, such as the International Surgical Sleep Society. Because we know each other well, we share experiences (good and bad) and… Read more »

Advances in Sleep Apnea and Snoring 2020 Course Highlights

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Sleep Apnea, Tongue Surgery.

We have just completed the 26th Annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring course in San Francisco, California.  I wanted to share some interesting updates and new topics from the course.  I have truly enjoyed being a co-director of the course and look forward to it every year, learning so much… Read more »

Learn About Two of My Patients Who Were Affected by Sleep Apnea and Retired Their CPAP Machines

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Sleep Apnea, Surgery.

While sleep apnea mostly affects men, women (especially those who are hoping to become pregnant) are at risk too. Learn about Jose’s and Rachel’s road to recovery. I love writing about the latest research related to the surgical evaluation and treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.  Research studies are important, but sometimes it is… Read more »

What if my drug-induced sleep endoscopy shows I am not a good candidate for Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation?

Posted by & filed under Palate Surgery, Sleep Apnea, Surgery.

Inspire Medical’s Upper Airway Stimulation therapy is a treatment option for many patients with obstructive sleep apnea who do not tolerate positive airway pressure therapy (for example, CPAP).  There are a few steps to determining whether a patient is a good candidate, including performing drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE).  If you are interested in more background… Read more »