Over the past couple of years, I have seen more patients coming to me, indicating that they have been “diagnosed” with upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) by so-called sleep experts. I have to stop myself from shaking my head, not knowing whether I should laugh or cry. The problem has become particularly noticeable over the… Read more »
Dr. Kezirian’s Blog
What is unique about UCLA Sleep Surgery?
My move to UCLA was based on the opportunity to work with a larger team of sleep medicine providers and researchers, including other surgeons who focused in this area: Ashley Kita, MD and Travis Shiba, MD. We have just posted some videos on our UCLA Sleep Surgery website page explaining what we do as surgeons…
I am writing from our 30th annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring course in Orlando, Florida. I have been fortunate to take part in this course for the past 20 years but take no credit for the course format that combines medical, surgical, and dental topics. This multidisciplinary approach is…
My educational background before entering medical school was in economics. As I started medical school and then progressed through my clinical and research training, this evolved into an interest in health services, a field that examines many aspects of health care delivery. This post relates to our recent publication on the types of sleep surgery…
Surgery often comes with pain during the healing process, and recovery from soft palate surgery for obstructive sleep apnea, in particular, is painful. There is wide variation in approaches taken to pain management after soft palate surgery, and I was fortunate to be involved in a 2019 publication from an international group presenting consensus-based recommendations…
Mouth taping is one of many approaches marketed aggressively for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea without careful scientific evaluation. There is some evidence that mouth breathing can be associated with increased overall airway resistance and narrowing, both of which are unfavorable. The more-important question is whether closure of the mouth – possibly with mouth taping…
Drug-induced sleep endoscopy is an evaluation procedure designed to evaluate the physical cause(s) of blockage in breathing in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. One of the reasons we are recognized around the world for our leadership is the scientific research we have led in this area. One of the major studies showed that specific findings…
NOTE: I am a paid consultant to Nyxoah, reviewing preoperative drug-induced sleep endoscopy videos. I have no access to any data regarding treatment outcomes. The just-concluded 2024 Miami International Surgical Sleep Society meeting included presentation of long-awaited trials from Nyxoah’s DREAM study and a number of other important presentations for the field of sleep surgery….
Mentoring and training the next generation of leaders in the field is one of the great joys of my career. I have been fortunate to train numerous sleep surgeons who are achieving tremendous things and already surpassing what I have accomplished in my career. In 2017, I wrote about a sleep surgery fellowship program that…
DISCLAIMER: I am a consultant for Nyxoah, who manufactures a technology mentioned in this blog post. Inspire Medical Systems’ Upper Airway Stimulation is the only FDA-approved treatment of obstructive sleep apnea based on stimulation of the nerve that controls tongue movement (hypoglossal nerve). Based on their successes, a number of other technologies are in clinical…
30th Annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring Highlights
What types of sleep surgery are being performed in the United States?
Reducing narcotics for pain control after sleep apnea surgery
Is mouth taping helpful for patients with obstructive sleep apnea?
Does tonsillectomy with hypoglossal nerve stimulation address lateral wall collapse?
ISSS Miami 2024: Nyxoah, LivaNova updates
Sleep Surgery Fellowship at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine
Can you “try” hypoglossal nerve stimulation before you commit to it?
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