RE: Successful apnea surgery now failing 1.5 years later
Wow! I only read a little bit but that is just amazing. There are some surgeons out there that should have some other things excised so they can see how well they get along without them.
RE: Successful apnea surgery now failing 1.5 years later
I had a UPPP back in 2006, which worked well until about 2010, 2011. However, I wasn't sorry I did it because I actually wanted my constantly infected tonsils removed, and being diagnosed with sleep apnea was the only way my insurance company would allow the surgery.
Unfortunately, that meant I didn't take the diagnosis of sleep apnea very seriously until my colonoscopy last year. I scared them silly because my breathing kept stopping. The doctor insisted I get a sleep apnea test. I was diagnosed with severe OSA, 50 incidents per hour. Now that I've been using a CPAP machine I can't believe how much more energy I have and how much better I'm sleeping, although it's only been since mid November, so I'm still having some hiccups and making adjustments. I'd be interested in knowing the percentage of folks where UPPP fails, I'm guessing it's pretty high.
RE: Successful apnea surgery now failing 1.5 years later
Adding to the surgery discussion.
I was diagnosed with SA in the early 1980's after going to the doctor because I was falling asleep at stoplights and in meetings. I had been a horrible snorer all my life (one of my army buddies tried to smother me with a pillow in the barracks - eventually they had to put me in a private room lol). xPAP was not available or not well known at that time, so my ENT, Dr. "laughing Ed" Schroff - we called him that because he was always so jolly - said nasopharyngoplasty and UPP was the solution. We did it.
The recovery was not pleasant, and toast crumbs still can get into my lungs, but the surgery did work and improved my SA and snoring for at least 20 years. Eventually, as others have found the SA slowly returned. The other surgical option, where they move your jaw forward was completely unappealing, so I turned to APAP. My AHI is usually under 1, I have pep in my step, and I do not snore.
At the original onset, I had no choice of remedies, but these days I would not have the surgery again, even though it worked far longer for me than many other posters.
RE: Successful apnea surgery now failing 1.5 years later
Wow, that has got to be frustrating. My sister had similar surgery (no UPPP) and is just past her 5 year mark and still no cpap need. I think she is just one of the lucky ones because her ENT told her that she would need the cpap after surgery - that this doesn't cure it (she needed surgery because the deviated septum was causing problems).
