Days 2 and 3 Highlights–Sleep Apnea and Snoring Course

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

Here are some highlights from Days 2 and 3 of our sleep apnea and snoring course: Gary Foster, PhD, a long-time faculty member at Temple University and more recently the C0-Chief Scientific Officer at Weight Watchers, showed new studies evaluating the benefits of weight loss in improving moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, providing evidence… Read more »

Highlights from Day 1 of the 21st Annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring course

Posted by & filed under Sleep Apnea, Snoring.

I am writing from Orlando and the 21st Annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring course, for which I am a Co-Director.  We were so happy to have close to 200 attendees for the 3 day meeting, reflecting the strong interest in sleep apnea and snoring among physicians and dentists from… Read more »

Oral appliances for snoring or sleep apnea have important potential dental side effects

Posted by & filed under Sleep Apnea, Snoring.

If you have side effects from oral appliances and want to consider sleep apnea surgery instead, you can schedule an in-person visit or telehealth video consultation with Dr. Kezirian. Surgery for snoring and sleep apnea has potential risks and side effects.  As a surgeon writing this post, I feel like I have to emphasize that there… Read more »

2014 International Surgical Sleep Society Meeting–Coming Together to Advance Sleep Surgery

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

I am writing from Detroit and Henry Ford Hospital, the site of the 2014 International Surgical Sleep Society meeting.  The meeting brings together leaders from around the world, discussing the latest topics related to surgical and many non-surgical treatments other than positive airway pressure therapy (such as CPAP) and oral appliances.  This was the 6th… Read more »

Does my tongue look fat?

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

This month (October 2014) I wrote an editorial in the medical journal SLEEP about a research study that appeared in the same issue.  The study is fascinating because it provides a deeper explanation not only of why weight gain is associated with worse sleep apnea and poorer outcomes for many sleep apnea treatments but why not… Read more »

Chin straps are not a solution for most patients with snoring or sleep apnea

Posted by & filed under Sleep Apnea, Snoring.

The lay press can be quick to jump on reports in the medical literature, especially when it comes to snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.  This has positive and negative impacts, but one of the downsides is that the public can read an article and misunderstand the findings.  Companies with products described in medical articles can… Read more »

Entering the YouTube Era–Videos on Snoring and Sleep Apnea Surgery

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

Many colleagues and individuals have thanked me for developing my sleep-doctor.com main website and blog.  To be honest, it has required hundreds of hours of time for this amateur website developer.  All the same, it helps my patients and has allowed me to share information about snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.  I recognize that the… Read more »

Appeal that denied health insurance claim for a sleep study or treatment of sleep disorders!

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

A recent story on NPR News reported that half of all patients win their appeal of denials by health insurance companies.  They told the story of a patient with sleepiness and loud snoring who saw a doctor that recommended a sleep study.  The insurance company denied authorization for the sleep study.  The patient filed an… Read more »

Day 2–snoring, sleep apnea, and insight about sugar and its hazards

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

After a successful start to the course, Day 2 began with Allan Pack, MBChB, PhD of the University of Pennsylvania.  Allan had given the final talk of Day 1, in which he delivered a thought-provoking lecture on the future of the field of sleep medicine.  He has campaigned for a shift for the field, like… Read more »