Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

CPAP with/after Surgery
#11
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
That is my hope! Thanks!
Post Reply Post Reply
#12
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
My doctor told me that after the splints were removed he sees:

better air flow right away then a short time of less air flow due to healing. Slow improvement over the next four to six weeks as healing is progressing. I am in week two and my air flow is less than when the splints were removed. It is still much better than before. If it never got any better than today I would happy with the improvement.

The doctor looked at it yesterday and said progress was in the normal range. My nose is working much better, smells that I had missed are returning.

I would hope that others would not wait as long to improve their health. The minor pain is well worth it. I was told to expect it to be bad, it was overstated.

Post Reply Post Reply
#13
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
My splints came out today. I can breathe again! like

I agree that the pain, discomfort, and inconvenience were all very minor. I am very happy that I did this. Thanks to everyone for the support!
Post Reply Post Reply
#14
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
Good Job. I am about three weeks out and find that I am using my nose better. I can smell things and keep my mouth shut most of the time. I wish I had done this years ago.

Now that I can smell the food cooking my diet is in trouble. The coffee that I love has taken on new pleasure. Coffee

God Speed your recovery. Sleep-well

Post Reply Post Reply
#15
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
I am about 3 and 1/2 months post surgery. My nose has cleared even a little bit more. I an now completely off Afrin. My nose sometimes clogs on one side but usually clears within a few minutes. I guess my point is that it takes time to feel the full benefit of the surgery.

Rich
Apnea Board Member RobySue has posted a Beginners Guide to Sleepyhead Software here:  http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...SleepyHead

Download Sleepyhead
Organize your Sleepyhead Charts
Post images


Post Reply Post Reply
#16
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
Perfect timing for this thread to be here! I’ve got a few surgery related questions. For a really long time, I’ve had difficulty breathing through my nose. I do wonder if that contributed to developing apnea. But that's not the question.

Anyway, according to the doctor, there are two causes for the breathing problems: 1) enlarged turbinates, and 2) a very narrow nose / nasal passages. No deviated septum though.

Currently using nasal steroids, and the turbinates are way better now. I’ll probably do turbinate reduction since it’s not very invasive, won’t take long, and will hopefully reduce the need for steroids. Which leads to question #1: I heard that turbinate reduction isn’t very permanent and will probably still need steroids later. Any experience with that? Does it really help?

Question #2: For the nasal passages (nasal valves, actually), the doc said possibly cartilage spreader grafts, but he doesn’t believe the technique is effective. Has anybody heard of anyone having problems with spreader grafts? Or success with them? Or such a thin nose that spreader grafts don’t work?

Finally, question #3. CPAP / apnea related. Could having these surgeries help reduce apnea at all? I know it won’t cure apnea, but has anybody had experience with these basic surgeries making it slightly less severe? Just wondering (and hoping).

In any case, it sure would be nice to breathe more freely both when awake and when asleep.

Just wondering if anybody has any input. Thanks in advance!
Post Reply Post Reply
#17
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
How "not very permanent" is a turbinate reduction? I've been told it's a next step, because my breathing is always restricted, and nothing else helps. I've only got mild-moderate apnea; I tolerate CPAP well, and my AHI is about 0.11. So it's daytime breathing that concerns me most. Plus the nighttime turbinate swell-up which prevents *any* breathing, even with CPAP, for which I use Afrin when it occurs, only occasionally.

The catch? I've got a genetic tendency toward blood clots, so I'm on blood thinners. A routine colonoscopy last fall, with 3 small polyps removed, led to a week in the hospital and numerous blood transfusions ..... So even a minor surgery is a big deal for me.

Maybe I need to just live with poor breathing and very little smelling. Thoughts?
Post Reply Post Reply
#18
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
Kowlooner, I can't answer some of your questions but I will try and fill in what I can.

I too have narrow nasal passages. Narrow enough that my ENT remarked on them the first time she looked up my nose. Straightening the septum and trimming the turbinates was all that she recommended. She did not mention that the turbinate reduction wasn’t very permanent. She did say that I'd probably still need the cortisone spray for my rhinitis.

I've not heard of cartilage spreader grafts, but I would put a lot of weight on any surgeon's recommendations to NOT perform surgery.

It is an interesting question if flow restrictions in the nose could make our apnea related problems worse. If you breathe in sharply, you can see your nostrils close a little. So I can see that breathing in through your nose might create as low pressure condition (the opposite to CPAP) in your throat which might lead to partial collapse. I don't think this would cause apnea, but it might aggravate snoring or hypopnea. My surgeon was very clear with me that my nose surgery would absolutely NOT cure my apnea. I am not expecting it to change my AHI or pressure needs. I am hoping it will make me more comfortable at night and let me not use those sticky plastic strips to pull my nose open. I was mostly OK last night without one and there is still a lot of swelling and healing to be done.
Post Reply Post Reply
#19
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
Hi Deb. When I first looked at this surgery, the doctor asked me, "You have been breathing like this for over 50 years now, are you sure you want to get surgery?". I am happy that I did, but if I was prone to blood clots I don't think I would have gone ahead with it. That is something you need to talk to you doctor about and weigh the risks.
Post Reply Post Reply
#20
RE: CPAP with/after Surgery
(05-19-2016, 01:31 PM)BadGoodDeb Wrote: How "not very permanent" is a turbinate reduction? I've been told it's a next step, because my breathing is always restricted, and nothing else helps. I've only got mild-moderate apnea; I tolerate CPAP well, and my AHI is about 0.11. So it's daytime breathing that concerns me most. Plus the nighttime turbinate swell-up which prevents *any* breathing, even with CPAP, for which I use Afrin when it occurs, only occasionally.

The catch? I've got a genetic tendency toward blood clots, so I'm on blood thinners. A routine colonoscopy last fall, with 3 small polyps removed, led to a week in the hospital and numerous blood transfusions ..... So even a minor surgery is a big deal for me.

Maybe I need to just live with poor breathing and very little smelling. Thoughts?

Most times the surgeon uses a tool kind of like a very tiny Roto Rooter to remove bone under the turbinates. This reduces them in size but does not remove them and they still retain function. The turbinates warm and humidify incoming air to make breathing more comfortable. Removing too much turbinate tissue results in "empty nose" syndrome. That is unpleasant. As far as I know the surgery is permanent. Other milder procedures may not produce the results you are hoping for and may bee less permanent. I am breathing much better after my surgery. By the way my daytime breathing improved dramatically.

Rich
Apnea Board Member RobySue has posted a Beginners Guide to Sleepyhead Software here:  http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...SleepyHead

Download Sleepyhead
Organize your Sleepyhead Charts
Post images


Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Mask(s) to use after nasal surgery? Wonderlight 17 4,222 03-08-2024, 05:42 PM
Last Post: DoubtFire61
  After major surgery Issues DANNOGA 5 249 02-26-2024, 03:29 PM
Last Post: PaulaO2
  Talk me into or out of surgery BoxcarPete 30 1,951 01-27-2024, 11:05 AM
Last Post: Jay51
  Nasal Surgery and CPAP tolerance Norman2195 6 706 12-27-2023, 11:19 AM
Last Post: Jay51
  [Treatment] Very frustrated after radiofrequency tongue base reduction surgery phitom816 4 1,361 12-03-2023, 02:51 PM
Last Post: Too Sleepy
  Thoughts on my data (after double jaw surgery) accetableplaintain 2 417 11-27-2023, 06:30 AM
Last Post: accetableplaintain
  Tonsillectomy and UPPP surgery Jen0628jen 3 596 11-02-2023, 09:21 PM
Last Post: SuperSleeper


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.