What To Expect When Undergoing Sleep Apnea Surgery In Your City

Sleep apnea is a commonly occurring disorder that affects millions of people. It is characterized by numerous pauses in one's breathing or shallow breaths while sleeping. These pauses can last anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes and they often occur five to thirty times or more an hour. Sleep apnea is exhausting as it disrupts your sleep. If you have decided to undergo sleep apnea surgery, you should be well aware of what to expect.

You have probably already undergone an overnight sleep study wherein you were diagnosed with sleep apnea. Your doctor has most likely recommended a surgeon to use that offers facial surgery. When you visit the surgeon for the first time, he/she will examine your nose, mouth and throat with a fiber-optic camera. Patients with sleep apnea often have small airway dimensions or a 'floppy' airway that tends to collapse. Sleep apnea surgery ga aims at enlarging and decreasing the collapsibility of your airway.

Facial surgery that deals with sleep apnea is something that your surgeon can do relatively easily. The surgery often includes uvulopalatopharyngoplasty which involves widening the airway in the throat by removing tissue. There may be some cartilage or tissue in the nose that may need reconstructing or removed as well. Quite often tonsils or adenoids are also removed to promote regular breathing. General anesthesia or IV sedation is typically used.

One you have undergone sleep apnea surgery you can expect some temporary swelling, which is normal. You may need continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAC) after surgery. This therapy consists of using a breathing device that you wear at night to help you breathe easier and which prevents your airway from closing while you are asleep. You also may be given some medications after the sleep apnea surgery ga to relax your throat muscles.

Your surgeon may ask you to undergo another sleep study after surgery to see if your condition has improved. If you still stop breathing while you sleep you may need to continue CPAC therapy. The success rate of facial surgery for sleep apnea varies according to the severity of the problem and the aggressiveness of the type of surgery performed. This is something that your surgeon will discuss with you in length prior to surgery so that you are well aware of what to expect after the sleep apnea surgery ga has been performed.


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If you're researching sleep apnea surgery centers and are looking for the right doctor for the job, take a look at Riverside Oral & Facial Surgery. They've been providing high quality sleep apnea surgery services for years in the greater Atlanta area.