Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The benefits and risks of UPPP surgery for sleep apnea

By Michael Larkin


UPPP is a major surgery for obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. This surgical procedure may not always work and has some risky side effects that go along with it.

The surgery removes excess tissues of the mouth and throat to open up the airway more. This helps with the tissues and tongue from blocking the airway.

Some of the reason to have UPPP surgery for obstructive sleep apnea done are you cannot get use to the CPAP or the CPAP doesn't work for you. The CPAP and UPPP are not the only sleep apnea treatment options out there, but they are two of the most common.

What are some of the tissues removed during UPPP surgery? The uvula, a section of the soft palate, the tonsils, adenoids and other tissues of the throat may all be removed.

A different surgery called uvulopalatopharyngoglossoplasty is used to removed a small part of an enlarged tongue. This procedure is helpful for when an enlarged tongue has been a cause of blockage.

There are several side effects that can come with having UPPP. A nasally sound from the voice; speech issues; bleeding; infection; bleeding; residual pain; may not work on all cases; long periods of pain medication; may still have to use the CPAP after; complications during surgery and can actually make Obstructive sleep apnea symptoms worse.

There have been mixed results with cases for this surgery. In some it completely works with out any complications. In other cases it doesn't work and causes some risky side effects.

The surgery may treat snoring, but not sleep apnea. Snoring is one of the biggest warning signs for OSA. If there is no longer snoring that occurs, there can still be the health risks of sleep apnea lingering. It is important to have someone monitor your sleep for a few days after the procedure has been done.

UPPP surgery for obstructive sleep apnea can be a successful option and may not always be bad. Every surgery can be a risk and have major side effects. It is important to consult with a sleep doctor to make sure this option is ideal for you. There are several other safe treatments of OSA and snoring. This surgery is not for everyone. It has a lot of upside if successful and has some side effects if it is not.




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