Dr. Kezirian’s Blog

In the current era of health care reform, there has been a nationwide push to define and enhance the quality of health care.  To be clear, it is difficult, if not impossible, to define fully the concept of “quality” in health care.  While automobile manufacturing may characterize quality by acceleration, driving performance, need for repairs,… Read more »

After a successful start to the course, Day 2 began with Allan Pack, MBChB, PhD of the University of Pennsylvania.  Allan had given the final talk of Day 1, in which he delivered a thought-provoking lecture on the future of the field of sleep medicine.  He has campaigned for a shift for the field, like… Read more »

Another year has come and gone, and our 20th annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring course started today in San Francisco.  As a Co-Director, it is exciting to have close to 200 attendees again, a testament to the recognition of the importance of sleep apnea and snoring as well as… Read more »

Disclaimer: I am a paid consultant for Split Rock Scientific, a company that has developed the SleepAssure System that I discuss in this post.  I am a part owner of Split Rock Scientific and have been working with the company for the past 2 1/2 years on this project. The processes of innovation and research… Read more »

The start of a new year is a time to reassess and undertake new directions.  The current era of explosive growth in scientific and medical knowledge has included an improved understanding of sleep and its importance to health.  The past few years has seen research showing a connection between poor sleep (not limited to sleep… Read more »

Let’s be clear.  My golf game is best defined as erratic.  On those couple of times a year when I get a chance to play, golf is the part of my life where I take the most risks.  Since I am not good enough to get my score down to the 70s or low 80s,… Read more »

The natural tendency when treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea is to overlook other sleep disorders that can contribute to symptoms like daytime sleepiness and fatigue.  Insomnia is technically the most common sleep disorder, although in reality the term “insomnia” refers to a group of sleep issues.  Recent studies have examined the differences between subtypes… Read more »

In a blog post from September 2012, I described modifications developed by Italian surgeons of the expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty procedure.  This technique of soft palate surgery for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea was designed to reduce the risks and enhance the stability of the procedure.  I have received many e-mails and calls from other… Read more »

My website and this blog provide what I hope is an useful educational resource for my patients and others, but I know that many patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea will never reach it.  As such, I have contributed to two online resources that reach larger audiences.  I am a content author for sleep… Read more »

Last week, I participated in the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery.  This meeting always includes a number of excellent sessions focused on surgery for snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, and this year was no exception.  My favorite session was a discussion of how surgeons might choose from among the… Read more »