My husband was diagnosed with Apnea had two surgeries in 2006. The first one on his nose, the second one on this throat. to make the opening wider (Sorry I forgot the medical terms of all these things). Before he used a sleeping machine for a year. Well, after the surgery there was some relief for a short period of time. But now,  2 years later we are back were were were - he snores like a freight train. And not just this - he keeps moving, his hands and feet are in constant motion and  I can hear when his breath stops.  The same familiar picture... Before his first throat surgery took place I read about a new technology - implants, that prevent  throat tissue to close up the opening again and I asked a question to the doctor. He said he  had never heard anything about it and suggested that my husband lost some weight. Well, my husband is overweighted, but not THAT overweighted. He attends gym and, believe me, he eats right - I take care of it! He is stocky by nature and nothing is going to change it. All we can do is to keep it under control.
 Now, does anybody have any experience with these implants?  Or are we doomed to surgeries every 2 years?
I am open to other ideas as well. Thanks and sorry for mistakes - English is not my mother tongue.

Most all surgeries / treatments need to be accompanied by the following disclaimer... "Individual results may vary!"

  Why did he choose to go away from the xPAP machine?  Dislike?   Intolerance?   What?

   A "Surgical cure" for Sleep Apnea is a reduction by 50%, so for me, being over double the severe level, it would
leave me remaining in the severe level.  I love my CPAP.  I went begging for my CPAP. I am an oddity regarding my
CPAP.  I wouldn't trade mine for anything.

   I did try one of the oral devices first, and it worked great. But just like you described, my symptoms came back with a vengence. I went for the CPAP.  Now, only on ocassion do I even snore, but I am no longer having symptomatic apneas.
One key factor to remember is that an xPAP is adjusted under a monitoring situation, not lets try this and see.  As a surgical tech, I have helped do many of these procedures, but I still prefer my CPAP, even after 12 years on it.

   The arm and leg movements are "Periodic Myoclonus in Sleep" or Restless limb syndrome.  His body is doing something to wake him up enough to breath. If his snoring is worse, and his apneas are back, he really needs to go back for another sleep study, and see where he stands after the surgeries; (Worse, same, better?) and get the documentation for it.

   He may have spent all that time, money and pain to get rid of "the machine", but, in fact, may still need it.
The ONLY 100% surgical cure for obstructive sleep apnea is a tracheostomy (Hole in the breathing tube) because it bypasses the blockage.  Now, who in their right mind would want to voluntarily get a trach, when a machine with a mask is so readily available?!

   Now, don't take this as a "totally against surgery" stance, but I have heard more stories about sleep apnea surgeries not working, etc., that I just won't consider the options. But as I said 2 paragraphs ago, get it tested before doing anything.
Then get it re-tested after getting something done.  That is the only way to be sure.


_________________
painless

Sleep Apnea is a Killer! Get it Tested!
Get it Treated! Use the Treatment!

- Why did he choose to go away from the xPAP machine?
  - The doctor suggested surgery. We hoped this would be a perminant solution. HAve you tried implants?

Florida_Spouse wrote:

- Why did he choose to go away from the xPAP machine?
  - The doctor suggested surgery. We hoped this would be a perminant solution. HAve you tried implants?

In my opinion, for any medical condition surgery is the last resort.  I would try all options first, especially if you have already HAD surgery and it didn't work!  More surgery isn't always the answer (ask Michael Jackson )

There is some stigma associated with CPAP for some folks.  An "Oh my god, I have to use A MACHINE to breathe! " mindset.  Don't get me wrong, I would rather not do it either but to me the benefits FAR outweigh the alternative.  If the machine works and your husband wakes up rested and refreshed, whats wrong with that?

I agree with the other posters that surgery is always the last resort. This is assuming the right kind of surgery is performed. Most ENTs do the "let's try it and see" approach, with no guarantees. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of people with sleep apnea, the tongue is almost never addressed. If you haven't looked into it, go see a dentist regarding a mandibular advancement device for sleep apnea. They can be very expensive, with various degrees of success, so another way to see if he has a residual tongue collapse issue is to order one of the OTC anti-snoring devices that you can order over the internet. puresleep.com or somnoguard are two of many that come to mind. If if helps at all, then you can justify investing in a formal adjustable, more comfortable dental device. If it doesn't work or if you can't use it, then you're only out $30-60. Think of it as a screening tool. If you're ENT is willing, have him/her look at the space behind your husband's tongue while lying flat on his back (it will be very narrow). Then have your husband thrust his lower jaw forward as much as possible. There should be a significant increase in the airway space. This is what a mandibular advancement device does. Sometimes, no matter how much you push the jaw, the tongue doesn't move - these are the people who won't respond to dental devices.

There are some very good tongue base procedures with decent success rates, but that's a very long (and sure to be controversial) discussion....

Also,

Implants will only stiffen the palate. He needs to address his tongue.