I am in the process of arranging an interview with physician on the Pillar Procedure.  The interview will recorded and available for listening on this web site and downloading to your Ipod.

I need your help to develop a set of questions to ask the doctor.  

Not all questions will be used or they may be modified to suit the interview.

Deadline for submitting questions is February 10th.

So, put on your thinking caps and send me your questions having to with the Pillar Procedure.

Thanks,

Ed Grandi



Last edited by sleepapnea_ed on Sat Feb 11, 2006 12:50 am; edited 1 time in total
_________________
Executive Director
American Sleep Apnea Association
6856 Eastern Avenue, NW Ste. 203
Washington, DC 20012
202-293-3650

Ok,

I will start.


1) Who is a good candidate for Pillar?


2) How many procedures have been done?

3) How successful is Pillar?

4) Can pillar be combined with other procedures?

Does the pillar procedure work for people who have a very soft soft palate?

What was the duration of the study determining the success of Pillar?

What type of follow-up was done to determine continued success?

What was the duration of this follow-up?

What were the age ranges of the participants?

What percentage of the participants had Sleep Studies before the procedure was performed?

If Sleep Studies were not done, what was the criteria for selecting a participant?

I have severe obstructive sleep apnea and have just begun CPAP treatment with good results. My soft palate and uvula have been described by my dentist as about 2.5 inches longer than normal and very flaccid. Am I a good candidate for the Pillar Procedure?

Will health insurance companies cover the procedure?

What is the approximate cost of the procedure.

Let me post this document that will provide some background reading on the Pillar procedure, and may help in formulating some questions:

Pillar Procedure

sleepydave

What about the practice of combining dental appliances with pillar implants.  Will this treat more people with moderate apnea than pillar alone?

What kind of long term studies were completed after the pilar procdure?

What are the side effects?

How many people were included in this study?

How much will be covered, if any, by insurance

Thank you for contributing questions for our first interview/podcast.

Please watch for a news item at the top of the forum for when the interview will be available.

If you have suggestions for other interviews/podcasts... please let me know.


_________________
Executive Director
American Sleep Apnea Association
6856 Eastern Avenue, NW Ste. 203
Washington, DC 20012
202-293-3650