What really is long-term CPAP adherence?

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Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the first-line treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in almost all patients in my practice. There are rare cases where I may order mandibular respositioning devices (aka, oral appliances), but CPAP is the primary option, even in patients who specifically request surgical treatment. CPAP has many advantages over alternatives,… 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 »

Giving Thanks for Our Sleep Medicine and Sleep Surgery Fellows

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Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on our good fortune and express gratitude with family and friends. What a perfect time to express appreciation to current and former fellows who continue to invigorate me with their enthusiasm, intellect, and curiosity. This September at our International Surgical Sleep Society meeting in Philadelphia, I was delighted to… Read more »

Insomnia and Anxiety Limit Use of Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation

Posted by & filed under Sleep Apnea, Surgery.

Upper Airway Stimulation (Inspire Medical Systems, Golden Valley, MN, USA) is an excellent treatment option for many patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who are unable to tolerate positive airway pressure therapy (for example, CPAP or BPAP) well. There are a number of specific criteria to determine whether a patient is eligible for… Read more »

ISSS and AAO-HNS 2022: Update on Neurostimulation for OSA

Posted by & filed under Surgery.

I just returned from a trip to Philadelphia for the back-to-back meetings of the International Surgical Sleep Society and American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Coming together in-person with long-time colleagues who are also friends to share experiences and ideas was wonderful. A great deal of the meeting was focused on neurostimulation,… Read more »

Standardizing social media hashtags for sleep disorders

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Twitter and other social media platforms are tremendous resources for sharing information about sleep disorders. I do not pretend to be a social media expert, so I apologize for my simplistic explanations or mistakes here. Patients and health care providers may rely on information available on the Internet (I know I sometimes do). Hashtags allow… Read more »

Epiglottis Stiffening Operation for Epiglottis-Related Obstruction in OSA

Posted by & filed under Surgery, Tongue Surgery.

Drug-induced sleep endoscopy has demonstrated clearly that the epiglottis can play an important role in obstructive sleep apnea in about 5-10% of patients. Surgical treatment approaches suggest that that treatment of the epiglottis specifically can provide substantial improvement in these cases. Multiple procedures have been proposed as options in cases of epiglottis-related obstruction; two of… Read more »

Will an oral appliance successfully treat my sleep apnea?

Posted by & filed under Sleep Apnea, Surgery.

When patients with obstructive sleep apnea cannot tolerate positive airway pressure therapy (e.g., CPAP), they should consider other treatment options, including surgery and oral appliances. My career has focused on the surgical evaluation and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. When I started in this field, the main surgical option was traditional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, and… Read more »