Drug-induced sleep endoscopy is a surgical evaluation technique that can be used to evaluate patients considering surgery or oral appliances for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The approach was developed in a number of center in Europe in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but the techniques have been refined over time.
Drug-induced sleep endoscopy has been a major focus of my career, whether in leading a number of research studies or teaching courses and training other surgeons in it. Drug-induced sleep endoscopy has shown how different patients with obstructive sleep apnea have different patterns of blockage of breathing, explaining why one surgical procedure or an oral appliance may work well in one patient but not another.
I have developed a video posted on Youtube discussing drug-induced sleep endoscopy and presenting some interesting (and humorous) example videos.
Drug-induced sleep endoscopy involves watching inside the throat to see what causes sleep apnea, and the idea of doing this just made so much sense to me when I first heard about it many years ago. What we needed was more studies showing exactly how important this information is to improving the results of sleep apnea treatment. I have now made another video discussing the research examining drug-induced sleep endoscopy, including how it can inform decisions about sleep apnea surgery or oral appliances. I hope you enjoy it.
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David Conte says:
Dr. Kezerian,
My sleep endoscopy revealed “severe AP soft palate collapse with expiratory palatal obstruction, severe circumferential hypopharengeal collapse including tongue base with severe lateral and anterior collapse of epiglottis.”
Is there a surgery that can address these types of collapse and narrowing?
Thank you,
David C.
Dr. Kezirian says:
I cannot give detailed medical advice like this over the Internet. If you would like a proper discussion of your case (with review of the drug-induced sleep endoscopy video), you shoudl feel free to contact me directly via e-mail for a formal consultation over Skype. You can connect with me directly via e-mail through the Contact Us button on the upper right of each page of my website and blog.