Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on our good fortune and express gratitude with family and friends. What a perfect time to express appreciation to current and former fellows who continue to invigorate me with their enthusiasm, intellect, and curiosity. This September at our International Surgical Sleep Society meeting in Philadelphia, I was delighted to… Read more »
Dr. Kezirian’s Blog
Insomnia and Anxiety Limit Use of Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation
Upper Airway Stimulation (Inspire Medical Systems, Golden Valley, MN, USA) is an excellent treatment option for many patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who are unable to tolerate positive airway pressure therapy (for example, CPAP or BPAP) well. There are a number of specific criteria to determine whether a patient is eligible for… Read more »
ISSS and AAO-HNS 2022: Update on Neurostimulation for OSA
I just returned from a trip to Philadelphia for the back-to-back meetings of the International Surgical Sleep Society and American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery. Coming together in-person with long-time colleagues who are also friends to share experiences and ideas was wonderful. A great deal of the meeting was focused on neurostimulation,… Read more »
Standardizing social media hashtags for sleep disorders
Twitter and other social media platforms are tremendous resources for sharing information about sleep disorders. I do not pretend to be a social media expert, so I apologize for my simplistic explanations or mistakes here. Patients and health care providers may rely on information available on the Internet (I know I sometimes do). Hashtags allow… Read more »
Epiglottis Stiffening Operation for Epiglottis-Related Obstruction in OSA
Drug-induced sleep endoscopy has demonstrated clearly that the epiglottis can play an important role in obstructive sleep apnea in about 5-10% of patients. Surgical treatment approaches suggest that that treatment of the epiglottis specifically can provide substantial improvement in these cases. Multiple procedures have been proposed as options in cases of epiglottis-related obstruction; two of… Read more »
Will an oral appliance successfully treat my sleep apnea?
When patients with obstructive sleep apnea cannot tolerate positive airway pressure therapy (e.g., CPAP), they should consider other treatment options, including surgery and oral appliances. My career has focused on the surgical evaluation and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. When I started in this field, the main surgical option was traditional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, and… Read more »
How much weight loss do I need to improve my sleep apnea?
Weight loss has been proven to be a key cause of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). I have written previously on the research from Richard Schwab, MD at the University of Pennsylvania, showing that the connection appears to be related to fat storage (and likely muscle mass too) in the head and neck. This work is… 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 »
Advances in Sleep Apnea and Snoring 2022 Course Highlights
We have just completed the 27th Annual Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea and Snoring course in San Francisco, California. It has been wonderful to be a co-director for about 15 years, and I learn so much myself in every course. This year we did something different: a virtual format! We can thank… Read more »