I am just curious, after the surgery. Don't you have anymore sleep apnea?

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haven't had time to read the thread yet but how long till you see results? its been 8 days since my surgery and my breathing feels the same as it did before the surgery, no improvements yet.

Hello , I wanted to let u know that I have read almost all the posts on here and I have noticed that everybody is different when it comes to healing and the results. I am 5 days post op and I had no packing but I had stints n which they removed today . Up until today I could not smell or taste and was totally congested and could not sleep. After he took the stints out which felt so uncomfortable like he was pulling my brains out with them he then suctioned the clots out of my nose which was also uncomfortable . After that I could breath real well but I have noticed my taste has changed and foods taste different to me . He told me to use saline rinses twice a day to keep things moist and to take a cue tip dipped n peroxide and wipe the insides of my nose . I see him again n a week to be suctioned out again. I had a deviated septum fixed , turbinates reduced and a rinoplasty . I had a hole n my nose from when a horse took it's head and came back on my nose . It took the surgeon 2 and a half hours . I still have swelling n my nose but no black eyes. Also right after the surgery I could breath with the stints n real well but the following day I became congested to the point I wanted to cry cuzz I couldn't breath through my nose. I was given percocet for the pain but I took Tylenol instead which worked great.I am glad I had the surgery but if I had to do it again I wouldn't mainly because of the congestion like having a terrible cold. It might take u awhile to notice a difference after your operation , just give it some time .

Hello again I also wanted to add that I bleed for 3 days after surgery

Hello... My story, I'm 48 yrs old and apparently have had SA most of my life just didn't know it. I really thought I was just lazy and stupid. In 1998 I had my 1st sleep study because I was at the end of my rope, and found out I had severe SA so I opted for the surgery. They removed part of my soft palate, tonsils uvula, and deviated septum. I was in the hospital for 5 days and it was extremely painful for about a month. After recovery I was back in action because I have always been physically fit, it felt like I was on a natural high for about 5 yrs until i started feeling tired again. Im now back to severe SA with a bipap machine that I cant stand and also on high blood pressure medicine although I'm still physically fit. According to my sleep doctor they are finding this to happen quite a bit due to scar tissue replacing the areas of the soft palate and tonsils. My doctor's opinion is skeptical about the surgery because they know more now than they did then. I would recommend the deviated septum surgery because it will help you with your breathing but doesn't really cure SA. I just received in the mail today my 1st CPAP Pro no mask because I can't stand all the straps with the nasal pillows.

My doctor says there are some experimental procedures going on in Europe at this time but doesn't know a whole lot about it yet. It has something to do with implanting a device kind of like at a pace maker which will stimulate your tongue when you quit breathing. Sounds a little extreme to me but when one gets desperate they'll try anything.

Good luck

My doctor says there are some experimental procedures going on in Europe at this time but doesn't know a whole lot about it yet. It has something to do with implanting a device kind of like at a pace maker which will stimulate your tongue when you quit breathing. Sounds a little extreme to me but when one gets desperate they'll try anything.

I spoke to a sales rep for the company making these devices, at a recent conference in Amsterdam.
Currently there is a sizeable clinical trial going on in Belgium. The device is like a pacemaker, about 2 inches square and a half inch deep. Two wires extend, one to the lung/heart area and one to the hypoglossal nerve. Basically the device senses breathing (or lack of) and if necessary electrically stimulates the hypoglossal nerve to keep the airway open.
It has to be inserted under general anasthetic.
I asked about cost......they anticipate approx €20,000 to include surgery !!!!
Company developing this is Inspire Medical.

A similar type device was trialed back in the late 90's early 00's, and failed. Mainly down to poor batteries. Apparantly this technology has improved and the promotors are talking a 7/9 year battery life.

There was a study in 2001 by AR Schwartz....only 8 patients and the findings were that it demonstrated the feasability and therapeutic potential for hypoglossal nerve stimulation in OSA.
Nothing really concrete.

Daniel.

I had the surgery done 10 years ago along with my tonsils. My septum was deviant enough to do surgery on but I can tell you all these years later I don't feel any difference. I still have to use nose spray for swollen membranes in my nose in order to breath properly. I wouldn't suggest the surgery unless you have an extreme deviation.

I am scheduled for surgery a few weeks from now with Dr. Steven Park for septoplasty/turbinoplasty. I see his name on here quite a bit...his book was a terrific source of information. He moved his practice from Manhattan to Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx a few months ago.

I am anxious as hell (never had surgery before). Then again, my OSA has contributed to chronic anxiety anyway! Not looking forward to the surgery but am looking forward to being able to hopefully breathe better through my nose (could never quiet breathe freely through both nostrils my whole life). Once i am healed i can begin CPAP and/or continue with my oral appliance and HOPEFULLY lift this never-ending brain fog.

gpyle wrote:I am scheduled for surgery a few weeks from now with Dr. Steven Park for septoplasty/turbinoplasty. I see his name on here quite a bit...his book was a terrific source of information. He moved his practice from Manhattan to Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx a few months ago.

I am anxious as hell (never had surgery before). Then again, my OSA has contributed to chronic anxiety anyway! Not looking forward to the surgery but am looking forward to being able to hopefully breathe better through my nose (could never quiet breathe freely through both nostrils my whole life). Once i am healed i can begin CPAP and/or continue with my oral appliance and HOPEFULLY lift this never-ending brain fog.

I am a dentist working in dental sleep medicine. I think that it is highly likely that the surgery will improve the efficiency of your oral appliance rather dramatically. Probably enough to make a move to CPAP quite unnecessary. Good luck to you!

I had the surgery and it helps me breathe through my nose easier. It did not help my UARS but I would do it again because I can now breathe through my nose.

a.b.luisi,d.m.d. wrote:

gpyle wrote:I am scheduled for surgery a few weeks from now with Dr. Steven Park for septoplasty/turbinoplasty. I see his name on here quite a bit...his book was a terrific source of information. He moved his practice from Manhattan to Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx a few months ago.

I am anxious as hell (never had surgery before). Then again, my OSA has contributed to chronic anxiety anyway! Not looking forward to the surgery but am looking forward to being able to hopefully breathe better through my nose (could never quiet breathe freely through both nostrils my whole life). Once i am healed i can begin CPAP and/or continue with my oral appliance and HOPEFULLY lift this never-ending brain fog.

I am a dentist working in dental sleep medicine. I think that it is highly likely that the surgery will improve the efficiency of your oral appliance rather dramatically. Probably enough to make a move to CPAP quite unnecessary. Good luck to you!

Thanks for your input. That's my immediate hope - that being able to finally breathe through my nose will enhance the effectiveness of the appliance. As my doc indicated, i will never be able to fully utilize the potential an appliance or cpap can offer if i am unable to breathe out of my nose.

Wow - lots of great information and feedback on here. Thanks to all that have contributed.
I'm scheduled to have a septoplasty and turbinate reduction using a microdebreder on Wednesday of next week (December 28th). I have suffered congestion for as long as i can remember, but i think it has grown much worse in recent years. I notice most when i am lying down / trying to sleep. Sometimes i wake up gasping for air with the driest mouth imaginable. Not fun. I think it was the lack of good quality sleep that finally drove me to the ENT.
Dr. Samuel Bailey from Scottsdale is doing my procedure. He is young, but seems to know his stuff and took plenty of time to explain everything to me and answer my 143 questions. Ultimately his use of the microdebreder was a big selling point. The efficacy and lack of complications using the instrument made me feel much more comfortable than other techniques. Hope it works out...
Seems like the reviews have been a mixed bag on here in terms of level of suffering, etc. Almost unanimous that it's darn uncomfortable with horrible sleep until splints are removed. I'm not looking forward to that, but it's for the long term good...
I will try to post daily updates for those going through it themselves (for comparison) or those thinking about having it done (for reference as you weigh your options).
Wish me luck.

Had surgery this morning.
Once IV even in it seemed like 45 seconds to go fom nervous to high to zonked the f out.
Just splints - no packing. Nose drip gauze also in place to catch blood etc.
Hurts a bit but script pk's help a lot. Pain on mess 1/10, if I go too long without 8/10. Also on antibiotics.
Have slept on an off all day since.
Can breath moderately through nose, including nostril that was almost completely closed off by septum.
Dr told my wife my septum was pretty jacked up and turbinates very swollen.

Hi I'm about 8 hours removed from surgery. I am laying in bed feeling pretty good (almost to the point of feeling bored.) I do want to get up and move around but thinking it's probably not a good idea. I also had my sinuses cleaned out. I do have the splints in but they really don't bother me. My wife had the same surgery 15 years ago and she said it made a world of difference. Back then they would pack your nose with gauze and the pressure in your head was horrible. The same Dr who did hers did mine. I was dreading the packing until he said this morning it will not be used.

I don't know if anybody else has tried these but I first came to experience how good you could feel when I tried the breathe right strips. The difference was incredible. I would put it on in the evening after work and it felt like the fog in my head was just blown away! I started noticing the difference within a few minutes. I had energy (I'm 51 and have a sedentary job.) my memory got better, I could think so much clearer it I was shocked! I was skeptical at first and said I'm going to use these everyday for a month a see what happens. Pretty much every time I got the same results. When my wife said I could probably feel the same way all the time with out the strips I was sold!. I do not work or am any connected to the company. I just know how I felt. I also used them at night with my cpap and noticed some difference and noticed some improvement in how I felt in the morning, but not a great deal. It is worth having done. I have never had surgery before and was worried how it would be but with the anesthesia I didn't feel or know a thing.

What I would say to anybody considering having their septum fixed and is not sure try the breathe strips first and see if they help. If you anywhere near as good as I felt with them it might make your decision easier.