Does expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty treat oropharyngeal lateral wall-related obstruction in OSA?

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

Recently, our international, multicenter study examining drug-induced sleep endoscopy and surgery outcomes in those with obstructive sleep apnea but without markedly enlarged tonsils was published in the medical journal Laryngoscope.  I have written on this blog about the research findings and the implications for sleep surgery and the decisions that sleep apnea surgeons make for their… Read more »

BMI and neck circumference are more important risk factors in OSA for Caucasians than other racial and ethnic groups

Posted by & filed under Sleep Apnea, Snoring.

I have written previously about international research efforts, whether one showing the benefits of drug-induced sleep endoscopy or investigating cardiovascular benefits of sleep apnea treatment with INCOSACT.  Generally these collaborations bring together major centers from around the world to increase the numbers of study participants, but they can also examine research questions with a more-diverse… Read more »

Drug-induced sleep endoscopy findings are associated with results of sleep apnea surgery

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

Before performing any surgery, it is important to collect information that can help in making decisions about what type of surgery to have and what the results of surgery might be.  Sleep apnea surgery is no different.  Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is an evaluation that can be performed in patients with obstructive sleep apnea who are considering… Read more »

Shared Decision Making in OSA and Our Advances in Sleep Apnea Course

Posted by & filed under Sleep Apnea.

Shared decision making was characterized in 2008 by Barratt as “an approach to medical decisions in which patients and clinicians work together to reach a mutually agreed upon decision that is consistent with the best available evidence, as well as patients’ preferences”.  This concept was not new, as Sackett had defined evidence based medicine in… Read more »

AAO-HNS 2018 Annual Meeting Sleep Surgery Research

Posted by & filed under Sleep Apnea.

The 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Surgery (AAO-HNS) was held earlier this week in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was a wonderful opportunity to share experiences with long-time colleagues and some that I had not met previously.  In addition to my presentations related to drug-induced sleep endoscopy, Tongue Region Surgery,… Read more »

Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation Not Working for Your Sleep Apnea?

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

  Inspire Medical’s Upper Airway Stimulation technology is a powerful (no pun intended) addition to the array of options for individuals suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.  As a surgeon who implants this therapy, I see patients (whether my own or those coming for a second opinion) where Upper Airway Stimulation is not working well.  While… Read more »

New research: drug-induced sleep endoscopy and oral appliances

Posted by & filed under Sleep Apnea.

Two months ago, I developed two videos related to drug-induced sleep endoscopy that I posted on my YouTube page.  One video discussed drug-induced sleep endoscopy and provided some example videos, and the other discussed how drug-induced sleep endoscopy can be used to improve the selection of treatments (surgery and oral appliances) and enhance results.  Just… Read more »