Can Sleep Apnea Be Cured With Surgery?

Sleep apnea is a chronic condition which does not address on its own. You can improve the mild cases by making some lifestyle changes. But CPAP therapy stays the gold standard for the treatment of sleep apnea. The best method to eradicate long-term health risks and improve well-being is to commit to treating your condition as soon as possible. In a few cases, the doctor uses sleep apnea surgery to reduce your signs.

Can Sleep Apnea Be Permanently Cured?

This question is complicated to answer. Today there are many surgeries available for addressing sleep apnea. These include palate surgery, laser surgery, skeletal surgery, tongue surgery, etc. These surgeries can cure the condition effectively, but the success rates differ widely. However, in numerous cases, sleep apnea returns.

CPAP machines and oral appliances are superb options for treating sleep apnea. A CPAP machine functions by opening up the airway using air pressure. On the other hand, oral appliance therapy shifts the jaw ahead during sleep to open the airway. Oral appliances appear the same as the retainer or a mouthguard.

The patient must wear oral appliances and CPAP daily to achieve the desired results. However, they are not effective cures for apnea. The only way to get rid of the condition is to have surgery or lose weight. Weight loss positively affects your body, mainly if you avoid sleeping on your back.

Remember, in complicated cases where no other treatment works and the doctor recommends surgery. But before any recommendation, the expert performs a presurgical evaluation. It includes a nasopharyngoscopy. In this process, the medical professional inserts a flexible scope into the throat and nose. It helps the expert determine the regions that might lead to blockage of breathing while sleeping.

In a few cases, presurgical evaluation includes a sleep endoscopy or scans like MRI, X-Ray, CT, etc. The doctor picks the sleep apnea surgery depending on what they have evaluated. They may also do multiple surgeries in different regions.

What Are the Risks of Surgery for Sleep Apnea?

You may require sleep apnea surgery when non-surgical treatments do not work well. It lowers the number of sleep apnea events in the patients and boosts their sleep quality. Like every surgery, sleep apnea surgery also carries a few risks, mainly when it comes to anesthesia.

Numerous anesthesia medicines relax the throat muscles and can worsen the condition during surgery. Due to this, you may require endotracheal intubation to get help with breathing.

Common risks related to sleep apnea surgery include:

• Blood clotting.
• Nausea.
• Excess bleeding.
• Infection.
• Persistent dryness in the throat.
• Fever.
• Pain.
• Allergic reaction to anesthesia.
• Bad breath.
• Temporary numbness.
• Snoring.
• Urinary retention.
• Inflammation around the surgical area.
• Dysfunctioning of the tongue.
• Skeletal collapse.
• Weakness.
• Recurrence of OSA central sleep apnea.
• Death (rare).
• Additional breathing issues.

Complications of sleep apnea surgery vary depending on the type of surgery used by the dentist near you.

Which Surgery Is Right for You?

Many surgical options are available for treating apnea, depending on your underlying cause. Each option has a different success rate. Medical professionals suggest surgery depending on the location of airway blockage and severity of sleep apnea.

Firstly, the doctor will refer you to a neck or head surgeon. They conduct an exam by placing a tiny scope with a camera down your nose. It helps the ENT doctors to determine if there is an issue with the throat, nasal passages, or tongue.

Talk to the doctor at Summit Pointe Dental to find which surgery will be the most appropriate for you, depending on your condition. If the expert spots multiple narrow, bulky, or closed regions, you may require a combination of surgeries.

Get Your Sleep Apnea Treated Immediately

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the patient’s breathing repeatedly stops for some time over the night. Sleep apnea is not the same as pneumonia. You cannot try one treatment and expect your signs to fade away.

When untreated, sleep apnea can be dangerous. It can result in a heart attack, heart failure, etc. Sleep apnea surgery is ideal for individuals with distorted or excess tissue blocking the airflow via the throat or nose. Among the numerous types of surgery performed include outpatient processes. Get help for your condition today.