Dr. Kezirian’s Blog

How has sleep apnea surgery changed over time? We share two key sources of change: drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) and the Nyxoah Genio hypoglossal nerve stimulation system. DISE is a sleep apnea surgery evaluation tool that helps surgeons develop a targeted, effective sleep apnea surgery plan, improving outcomes. It is recommended in many patients considering… Read more »

Are you interested in ways that AI can improve sleep apnea surgery? So am I! I just returned from a sleep apnea surgery course where there was a tremendous amount of discussion about how artificial intelligence (AI) revolutionizing medicine now and in the years to come. After decades of optimism (from others) and pessimism (from… Read more »

Why should patients care about sleep apnea surgery research? Because high-quality research improves outcomes in sleep apnea surgery! Sleep apnea surgery has been the focus of my entire career, now spanning over 20 years since completing all my training. Given that I have entered what I would consider the middle stage of a sleep apnea… Read more »

Tonight, I was so fortunate to have dinner together with some French sleep apnea surgery colleagues. This included some of the most prominent surgeons in the world who are also long-time friends: Dr. Frederic Chabolle and Dr. Marc Blumen. It was a wonderful chance to share experiences and think about the future of sleep surgery…. Read more »

It is time again for a post about highlights from our annual sleep apnea and snoring course. This year, we had over 200 in attendance, and I learned so much from colleagues. I always focus on nonsurgical topics because this course uniquely combines surgical and nonsurgical content, with the nonsurgical talks often including information that…

In some ways, the throat can be loosely defined as a tube for breathing, swallowing, and speaking. During wakefulness, the muscles that surround the throat have a certain level of activation that keeps the throat open. During sleep, there is a decrease in the level of nerve signals that activate muscles in the body. In… Read more »

Maxillomandibular advancement is recommended as an effective treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea, with the best candidates typically younger and with lower body mass index. On average, about 80-85% of individuals who undergo this procedure achieve a marked improvement in their sleep apnea and do not need to use other therapies like positive airway pressure… Read more »

I just returned from the International Surgical Sleep Society 2025 Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana. Neurostimulation was definitely on the agenda, as it is the most significant area of new technology applied to the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. I thought I would devote this post to various approaches and the most recent research findings…