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Sleep Study results (study done 7/15/2012) - southernlady - 07-30-2012
I am OFF the cpap!!! My jaw surgery worked.
Pre-jaw surgery, my AIH was somewhere between 6 and 7 (I just remember it being 6.something). My Hypoxia was way down to 70% at times.
The jaw surgery I had done in March was the LeFort/SSRO and done to bring my jaws forward some and open up my windpipe. I had a UPPP done years ago so that wasn't needed again.
According to my sleep doctor, my average AIH now is 2.4 and my hypoxia is gone. On the way home, we dropped off the cpap at the DME company. You see, the study was scheduled as a split study but they never put me on the cpap during the study. So we had the machine with us in case I was right about no longer needing it.
I was told to return IF needed...in other words, I am cured.
Was the surgery worth it??? YES.
Liz
RE: Sleep Study results (study done 7/15/2012) - cbramsey - 07-30-2012
Congratulations dear
Not everyone could do what you did.
The best news of all was we dropped off your APAP machine you were renting on the way home.
RE: Sleep Study results (study done 7/15/2012) - kitley - 07-30-2012
I am so happy for you...what a brave soul you are!
RE: Sleep Study results (study done 7/15/2012) - trish6hundred - 07-30-2012
Hey there southernlady, CONGRATULATIONS! I hope things continue to go well for you after the surgery.
RE: Sleep Study results (study done 7/15/2012) - zimlich - 08-01-2012
Congratulations. I googled the surgery and could not find much information. Would you please go into more detail about what was done. Thanks. Also, what kind of doctor did the surgery and how did you get approved?
RE: Sleep Study results (study done 7/15/2012) - southernlady - 08-01-2012
(08-01-2012, 08:32 AM)zimlich Wrote: Congratulations. I googled the surgery and could not find much information. Would you please go into more detail about what was done. Thanks. Also, what kind of doctor did the surgery and how did you get approved?
LOL, I did the same thing...there is NOT much out there.
Okay, what they WANTED to do was put me in braces with an orthodontist who understands this surgery (referral was thru the surgeon) until my bite was straight...had I had braces as a kid, that would not have been an issue but braces as an adult is WAY expensive and on Medicare, even worse! My overbite was very mild and only obvious in xray.
What we did: I started at my sleep doctor who referred me to an Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon. Mine was the head of the dept at the teaching center here. He did an evaluation, including a full xray of my mouth/head and told me he could help with the hypoxia...my windpipe was extremely small and the base of my tongue (normal size) was blocking it.
Because I didn't have braces, he put in archbars (similar to braces) while in there for surgery. The LeFort/SSRO (try googling Le Fort SSRO) surgery: they go in and cut the jaw on the bottom and the top and move both forward. Then they anchor everything back in place with titanium plates/rods and keep everything stable by either wiring your mouth shut using the archbars or using the dental rubber bands on those archbars.
Because they move the jaws forward, they are stretching the nerves...so it starts off by feeling like the lower half of your face is full of novocaine. Which is actually a GOOD thing since this surgery HURTS. There IS a small percentage of people who never regain feeling, esp the bottom jaw. Like any surgery, it has risks...but I was willing to accept them.
How this all happened...I was originally diagnosed with sleep apnea back in 2002 but went the surgery route of have the UPPP back then. Even morbidly obese, it still worked. I was retested in 2008 and was still okay (AIH was 3 on that test). But as part of my getting weight loss surgery, I admitted that I still had sleep apnea but had had surgery to rid myself of the symptoms.
Anyway, after I got to my bariatric surgeon's goal back last summer, they had me do a repeat sleep study to see if I was cured...apparently I had gotten bad enough that my AIH was a 6.something but I was also having hypoxia events...severe ones. So I got put on a cpap...which I tried to make work. In the meantime, I switched sleep doctors and asked if there was anything still to be done. He referred me to an Oral & Maxillofacial
After surgery I spent a month either drinking thru a syringe/ a sippy cup or swallowing very soft foods. I still have trouble chewing hard stuff...celery is a KILLER!!
If I didn't answer something, let me know or need more info...I did find ONE blog about someone's experience and his was fairly similar to mine altho he broke his jaw in an accident.
Liz