well add another to the list.

i have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea about 2 years ago. i'm 38 5'-11" and 180lb male. I mention my height and weight only because i have no idea if weight has something to do with the apnea.

i picked up the CPAP or as i like to refer to it, the CCRAP. i have not been able to use this machine.

first it is near impossible for me to fall asleep with it on. then when i do finaly fall asleep i pull it off without even realizing it. i pull it off almost immediately after falling into my half azz Rozerem induced sleep. which isn't really sleep so much as an exercise in gasping for air all night. (Rozerem is a sleeping pill i was prescribed for anyone who doesn't know).

so after 2 years with no luck from the CPAP i went back to my ENT and he recommended the UPPP surgery.

he did tell me that it is affective maybe 50% of the time. i asked him, "do you think i should have the procedure" and his answer was yes. so he scheduled it for this Nov. 6ht 2008. i left the office hopeing this would be the answer to my sleeping problems.

i then began reading all the horror stories on line with only a few positive outcomes. at this point i still plan on having the surgery but i'm getting pretty nervous.  

if anyone would like to chime in with their results it would be much appreciated.

sleeplessinannapolis wrote:

well add another to the list.

i have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea about 2 years ago. i'm 38 5'-11" and 180lb male. I mention my height and weight only because i have no idea if weight has something to do with the apnea.

i picked up the CPAP or as i like to refer to it, the CCRAP. i have not been able to use this machine.

first it is near impossible for me to fall asleep with it on. then when i do finaly fall asleep i pull it off without even realizing it. i pull it off almost immediately after falling into my half azz Rozerem induced sleep. which isn't really sleep so much as an exercise in gasping for air all night. (Rozerem is a sleeping pill i was prescribed for anyone who doesn't know).

so after 2 years with no luck from the CPAP i went back to my ENT and he recommended the UPPP surgery.

he did tell me that it is affective maybe 50% of the time. i asked him, "do you think i should have the procedure" and his answer was yes. so he scheduled it for this Nov. 6ht 2008. i left the office hopeing this would be the answer to my sleeping problems.

i then began reading all the horror stories on line with only a few positive outcomes. at this point i still plan on having the surgery but i'm getting pretty nervous.  

if anyone would like to chime in with their results it would be much appreciated.

There are plenty of comments here about the UPPP. Little point in rehashing them.

Just two things..........the UPPP is not effective/successful in 50% of cases. Internationally accepted figures show that it is 50% successful in 50% of cases, (this equates to a success rate of somewhere between 20/30%) and your OSA will probably return at a later stage. These success rates usually apply to those with mild/moderate apnoea.

A surgical success is claimed if your AHI is reduced by 50%. In the case of severe apnoea, this will still leave you with at least moderate apnoea, which will require XPAP.

It is two years since your diagnosis of severe apnoea, during that period it has remained untreated and as such has probably deteriorated further (OSA deteriorates if it is not treated). IMHO, it would be wise to have another sleep study before undergoing any surgery to see exactly where you are so that success/failure can be quantified afterwards. This would certainly be in your best interests.

Best of luck.

Daniel.


_________________
The untreated Sleep Apnoea sufferer died quietly in his sleep.......
Unlike his three passengers who died screaming !!!!!!

(Anon)

Almost everyone who has posted regarding taking their mask off once asleep (very typical thing in the beginning) and those who had trouble adjusting in the beginning all have success in using the xPAP with determination and persistance.

If your apnea is not very mild you will most likely still have to use the CCRAP after recovery from this very painful surgery..if not right away then most likely in the future...and the scar tissue etc may make using the xPAP ineffective and troublesome.

You can read all the UPPP surgery stuff in this Help Forum and also I believe there are threads in the Late Night Forum on this board.

I do not blame you for being pretty nervous..My ENT was up front with me..said it does not work..it is only for those with very mild SA due to upper airway restrictions and then it does not always work even then in the long run.  I am though considering having my diviated septum done.  It will not cure my apnea but will help relieve some of the pressure I experience and help me breathe a little better.

You may want to gather more info..print it off or write down your questions and make another appointment with your ENT for a more educated heart to heart..asking pointed questions and listening to all the answers..not just the ones you want to hear (we all tend to do that at times in desperation)

Best of luck...  Good that you found us..maybe we can help you get use to using your CPAP..there are tricks to work out those typical quirks..your story is not new here...100's have walked your path prior..and have succeeded.

Best of luck..keep us posted.


_________________

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO~ http://tinyurl.com/69q52a

BiPAP Auto M 13/8 Mirage Nasal Swift. 20 years+ undx'd. RLS/PLMD, Hypersomnia & more.

An an ENT surgeon that does lots of sleep apnea surgery, I agree with all the replies. Success rates for UPPP surgery varies depending on which definition you use, but the commonly accepted figure in the ENT and sleep medicine literature is 40%. Success in this case was defined as greater than 50% drop in your AHI and the final AHI less than 20. There have been numerous debates about the merits of surgery, but my opinion is that both sides are missing the point.

If you do a tracheotomy, you'll have a 100% success rate. But this is not a viable option for most people. If you do a maxillo-mandibular advancement, the success rate is in the low to mid 90% range. All the other soft tissue procedures, if done appropriately at the right areas, has about a 70-80% success rate. This includes multilevel surgery (nose, palate and/or tongue). UPPP alone has a 40% success rate. It's been shown that most people who fail UPPP surgery had underlying tongue collapse that wasn't addressed. A smaller percent of people needed more aggressive palatal surgery.

Regardless of success defined by the AHI score, what's more important is how the patient feels. In general, the lower the number after surgery, the better you'll feel. But there are some people who feel great, but the numbers didn't go down that much, whereas in others, the numbers go down into the single digits from the 20 to 40, and they don't feel any better. There's probably something that the standard sleep studies are missing, since we're only counting breathing pauses that last greater than 10 seconds.

I agree with the others that there's probably a lot more you can do to use CPAP successfully. There are a lot of great resources (like this one) available. Talk to your sleep doctor. CPAPtalk.com is another good site. The Sleep Wellness Institute has a good 25-tip e-book at http://www.sleepwellandlive.com. If you've exhausted CPAP and end up considering surgery, go to one that have lots of experience with multilevel surgery, especially tongue base procedures. There are many different ways to address the tongue, so years of have to go with a surgeon that you trust. Check out http://www.sleepsurgery.com for more information on these type of procedures. I learned most of what I do based on their experiences. You may also consider a dental device for sleep apnea, if you are a candidate.

I recommend that you talk to a sleep therapist or a reseller of CPAP machines for options that will help your compliance before you do the surgery.  There are CPAP machines that ramp up the pressure and ones that reduce pressure when you breathe out, for example.

well i had the UPPP surgery on November 7th 2008. i've been back at work for a week now. today is December 2nd 2008.

i had my Uvula removed, my Tonsils and Adenoids removed, i had my Soft Pallet tightened and my Tongue shaved down.

so far the surgery has been 100% successful for me and the pain was minimal, at worst it felt like Strep throat. but the pain
didn't affect me at all until the beginning of the second week. then for 3 days it bothered me, but nothing like i was expecting.

i had read all the horror stories about how bad the pain was and it really made me nervous especially considering i also read
the procedure wasn't 100% successful, some reports saying only 40% affective.

but i am very happy to report that i survived and would recommend the surgery.

Success is determined by having a post surgery sleep study..have you done that yet?

Good to hear that it was not as painful for you as it was for some others.  Guess it is better to be prepared for the worse and great when it is not that bad


_________________

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO~ http://tinyurl.com/69q52a

BiPAP Auto M 13/8 Mirage Nasal Swift. 20 years+ undx'd. RLS/PLMD, Hypersomnia & more.

true, and i have not had the follow up sleep study yet.

but i can at this point feel a major difference in my sleeping and the way i feel during the day.

and i have been waking up at 6:00am on the weekends completely refreshed. truly amazing.