Do you (or someone you love) snore loudly? Interested in learning what we really know about conservative approaches, including some that are advertised that may not be helpful at all? I perform snoring and sleep apnea surgery all the time, but I use these steps all the time in taking care of my patients. This… Read more »
Snoring
Sleep apnea surgery — what is it’s role?
Wondering how to learn more about sleep apnea surgery? The first step is seeing a surgeon so you can discuss sleep apnea surgery directly, especially if you are not responding to first-line sleep apnea treatment options. Obstructive sleep apnea is the blockage of breathing occurring during sleep. First-line options include conservative measures (weight loss when… Read more »
Sleep Apnea Surgery Research: Improving Results
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 »
31st Annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring Highlights
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…
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…
30th Annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring Highlights
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…
Telemedicine for preoperative visits?
As a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, I receive electronic access to the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. I browse the Table of Contents but generally find that most of the articles are related to general surgery or subspecialties within that field (which used to be true for head and neck…
2023 Advances in Sleep Apnea and Snoring Course Highlights
I am writing from our 28th Annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring course in Orlando, Florida. This is our first in-person course since 2019, and it was wonderful to be together. I do think more and more educational events will be offered virtually, as it increases access for people who… Read more »
Race/ethnicity and sex representation in sleep surgery research studies
It is known that biomedical research studies include a disproportionate share of non-Hispanic White, middle-aged men. I am no expert, but it is obvious to me that research is most valuable when it reflects the diversity of our patient population and, indeed, our country. On this day that honors Jackie Robinson and his legacy in… Read more »
Sleep and Inflammation
My entire career has focused on sleep disorders, especially obstructive sleep apnea and snoring, and I enjoy spreading science-based information about sleep to the public. I am fortunate to receive inquiries from members of the media and appreciate the opportunity to help in any way I can. Kathryn Drury Wagner contacted me for an article… Read more »
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