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If the prospect of sleeping next to an air compressor machine seems as bad as the disruption caused by the condition, do not worry. Over the years, the CPAP machines have been getting increasingly smaller and quieter. Virtually all systems are fully portable so you will not become a prisoner in your own home. (see traveling hints in FAQs section).

Lifestyle changes such as losing weight, reducing alcohol consumption (particularly in the evening) and avoiding late meals and cigarettes may improve things. 

Oral appliances are available to hold the tongue forward. These are suitable if your obstruction only involves the base of the tongue. Other oral devices work by moving the lower jaw forward, improving airflow.

CPAP is widely considered the treatment of choice for OSA. However, for those people that cannot tolerate CPAP, some form of surgery may be indicated.


Surgical Procedures


Genioplasty – Reconstructive surgery. Used to be a purely cosmetic procedure but now being used for people with OSA caused by lower jaw deformities.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty - Surgical removal of the uvula and part of the soft palate. It is sometimes necessary to remove tonsils and adenoids during this procedure.

Techniques have emerged that only require a local anesthetic. These methods are particularly well suited to people that may be too unhealthy to withstand a general anesthetic (e.g. overweight or cardiovascular problems).

Local Anesthetic
Techniques            


Laser Assisted Uvula Palatoplasty (LAUP) – Also performed under a general anesthetic, over several treatments the patient will undergo shortening of the uvula and a reshaping of the soft palate and posterior pharyngeal pillars. This procedure is noted for being a little painful, post operatively.

Radio Frequency Tissue Ablation (RFTA) – Is the application of controlled radio frequency energy to create lesions in a specific area. Heat destroys or changes tissue easily by damaging proteins and fusing cell membranes. The heat is generated by several small electrodes protruding from the end of the radio frequency ablation probe by a process of ionic agitation. Put simply, this leads to friction within the tissue, thus creating heat. Tissue temperatures are monitored using thermocouples attached to each electrode. The size of the ablated area will depend on a number of factors such as; the type of tissue being treated, the size of the ablation probe, duration of probe application and the temperature settings. RFTA or RFA has expanded treatment options across a range of conditions, having been used on liver, breast, lung, kidney and lymph node tissue. More established uses include the treatment of cardiac conditions such as atrial fibrillation and supraventricular tachycardia. Radio frequency tissue ablation enables specialists to target specific areas because you can expect a very distinct line between ablated tissue and the surrounding healthy tissue.

There are a variety of RFA procedures approved for the treatment of habitual snoring, chronic nasal obstruction and obstructive sleep apnea.    

Procedures


Habitual Snoring - by stiffening and shrinking soft palate tissue

Chronic Nasal Obstruction – by shrinking enlarged nasal turbinate.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea – by shrinking the soft tissue structures of the upper airway. This may include the base of the tongue.


It is important to note that not everybody is guaranteed success after surgery for snoring or OSA and it should be the course of treatment considered last. For others it has worked extremely well, so each case must be considered individually.