This month, the 2020 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery was entirely virtual, continuing the pattern followed by other medical conferences and courses. I have written previously about our expanded use of telemedicine and the development of new online educational programs, but this is an existing major medical… Read more »

I was recently included in a series of lectures developed for the International Surgical Sleep Society. My topic: Oral Myofunctional Therapy and Frenuloplasty Are Not Currently Appropriate Treatment Options for Adults with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. I have posted this presentation on oral myofunctional therapy and frenuloplasty on YouTube; it is somewhat long but explains why… Read more »

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has brought unprecedented changes worldwide, with major, important consequences. I do not want to minimize these in any way. In fact, the pandemic was a reminder that obstructive sleep apnea does not have the same urgency as some other medical conditions, leading to a period of time where I was not taking… Read more »

Evidence-based medicine requires use of the best research studies in taking care of patients. Systematic reviews are designed to combine multiple research studies to produce answers to important questions and therefore can be important to the practice of evidence-based medicine. Everyone loves systematic reviews, starting with physicians who need answers and may not have the… Read more »

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 »

Last month, I wrote about the expansion in telemedicine brought on my the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. This month, I want to share other ways that the virus has changed the education of patients and physicians in training programs. We are all in the midst of these unprecedented times, where the virus has claimed… Read more »

In the context of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the resulting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), other health concerns such as obstructive sleep apnea and snoring need to take a backseat.  We are all in uncertain times, relying on the experts and our own judgment to take appropriate precautions and preparations.  I… Read more »

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 »

I recently joined Darshan Shah, MD and Kevin Peake, co-founders of Next Health, for a wonderful discussion about sleep that on their FOREFRONT podcast. Here is a link to our podcast episode.  Enjoy, and feel free to contact me with any questions or just to share your thoughts!

Working at an academic medical center brings me into contact with exciting new developments across a wide range of medical fields.  A few years ago, I was approached by Soma Sahai-Srivastava, MD, a renowned neurologist and Director of the USC Headache and Neuralgia Center.  She had been asked to lead Keck Medicine of USC’s participation… Read more »