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…
What types of sleep surgery are being performed in the United States?
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…
Does tonsillectomy with hypoglossal nerve stimulation address lateral wall collapse?
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…
Can you “try” hypoglossal nerve stimulation before you commit to it?
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…
Insomnia May Prevent Effective Treatment of Sleep Apnea with Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation
The last thing anyone wants is to undergo surgery without achieving results. This idea has been the focus of my career in sleep surgery. It has been wonderful to contribute to advancing our understanding about the physical causes of obstructive sleep apnea and ways we can optimize our preoperative evaluation to select procedures. This work…
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…
2024 Advances in Sleep Apnea and Snoring Course Highlights
We have just completed the 29th Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring course in San Francisco. It is so enjoyable to be one of the course directors, where we can think about the newest developments in the field and other topics to incorporate as we develop the program. As I do…
Palate shape is associated with Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation outcomes
The Upper Airway Stimulation system from Inspire Medical Systems has been an important and exciting addition to the array of treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea. I was the first surgeon in the Western US to offer it to patients after FDA approval in 2014, and I have seen the tremendous difference it has made…
ISSS and AAO-HNSF 2023 Sleep Surgery Research Highlights
Nashville, TN was the site of both the 2023 International Surgical Sleep Society (ISSS) Educational Symposium and American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation Annual Meeting. It is always wonderful to see colleagues and long-time friends. However, I wanted to take the chance to share some of what I found to be… Read more »
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