Typically, to treat obstructive sleep apnea it is common to use treatment method known as continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP. However, when this treatment option fails to provide relief doctors might consider recommending obstructive sleep apnea surgery as another possible solution. In fact, there is more than one obstructive sleep apnea surgery option that you will need to choose from though it must be said that surgery is only recommended and tried out as a last resort and only when other treatment options have been exhausted without getting desirable results.
UPPP Is A Common Option
The most common form of obstructive sleep apnea surgery, Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP is usually recommended when an individual suffers from mild or even moderate obstructive sleep apnea and who is also not able to tolerate treatment via CPAP or any other form of medical treatment. This form of obstructive sleep apnea surgery requires using surgical means to remove unwanted tissue from the patient s airways including those found in the rear of the throat as well as mouth.
UPPP is a surgical option that will also help in the removal of tissues from the patient s tonsils and uvula as well as from the roof of their mouth. These tissues would otherwise block up the airway and so by removing them it is hoped that the problem of blocked airways will be resolved.
However, patients that choose this form of obstructive sleep apnea surgery need to be aware about possible complications that include feeling excessive pain, experiencing bleeding as well as dealing with infections. Sometimes, this kind of obstructive sleep apnea surgery can also cause the patient s voice to change and there may also be a condition called stenosis which refers to tapering of the pharynx.
It has also been found that about half of all adults that use UPPP obstructive sleep apnea surgery will notice that the number of obstructive sleep apnea episodes will start to come down by fifty percent or more following the surgery. Such dramatic improvements may however begin to disappear with the passage of time. In any case, UPPP is considered a good alternative to using CPAP and is especially useful for a person suffering from airway blockage that in turn is caused by unwanted tissues.
In regard to obstructive sleep apnea in children it has been found that affected kids will tend to snore very loudly. And, in addition, they will also have brief moments during their sleep when they will suffer from apnea and what s more, such a condition also leads to interrupted sleep which then forces the affected child to want to sleep during the day.