Sleep apnea surgery is recommended by nose, ear and throat specialists. This surgery is only advisable for people who suffer from severe obstructive sleep apnea. However, it is best to have this surgery only if it is also recommended by a sleep specialist. The correct name for sleep apnea surgery is Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, for short it is called UPPP. The surgery removes some of the soft tissue that lines the back of the throat. This is the tissue that causes obstructive sleep apnea by collapsing and blocking the airways when a person is sleeping. Some of the tissue that is removed includes the uvula which is the soft flap that hangs at the back of mouth. Also removed are areas of the soft palate and the throat tissue. If the patient also has adenoids and tonsils these are also removed. This is an in-patient procedure which requires the patient to stay in hospital overnight.
There are three aims of this surgery:
- By removing the tissue the surgeon increases the width of the airway located at the opening of the throat.
- It aims to block some of the muscle movements so as to better the airway's capability of staying open.
- And lastly, to better the movement and closing of the soft palate.
The main disadvantage of sleep apnea surgery is that the success rate is only 65% of all cases. In fact, the success of the surgery and the results will sometimes deteriorate over time, with an average of 50% at most in the long run. Unfortunately, there have not been enough studies done to determine what kind of patients make the best candidates for this surgery. However, there are studies that have shown that the best candidates for sleep apnea surgery are patients who have some kind of abnormality of their soft palate. The results of the surgery can be poor if the issues are caused by other areas in the pathway or if the problem is with the full palate. Another disadvantage of this surgery is that even after it has been completed; patients with severe cases of sleep apnea may still have to use an air face mask when they sleep. This treatment is called the CPAP treatment.
Before you have the surgery you have to be aware of some of the complications that could result.
- Firstly, it is one of the most painful treatments available to sufferers of sleep apnea.
- It takes a few weeks to be able to recover from the surgery. And, there are some serious complications that could arise.
- These include infection. It has been shown that as many 40% of patients who have undergone this surgery will later require another surgery in order to treat the resultant infection. But, if preventative antibiotics are taken an hour before the surgery than the risk of contracting an infection are reduced.
- Another serious complication of this surgery is that it could hamper the functioning of the muscles of the throat (which is called velopharyngeal insufficiency) and it could hamper the functioning of the soft palate.
- It is also sometimes difficult to prevent liquids from going into the airway.
- There is also mucus that develops in the throat.
- The frequency of the voice may also change.
- The sense of smell may be negatively affected.
- Fluids can be regurgitated through the mouth or nose.
Another serious risk to this treatment is that the apnea could return, or it may not even be healed after the surgery. Also, as previously mentioned, CPAP treatment may still be required after the surgery. However, the CPAP treatment could be less effective after the surgery.
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