Cracking the Sleep Code

Still Looking for a Sleep Apnea Treatment? Learn about Somnoplasty

There are many treatment options for obstructive sleep apnea.  This week at Cracking the Sleep Code I'm focusing on different treatments for the relief of sleep apnea.  Continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP is the first option most physicians offer but this doesn't work for everyone.  The important thing to do is not to give up.  Keep trying and researching until you achieve the optimal amount of sleep.

If you can't remember how it felt when you used to get sleep then let me refresh your memory.  More than likely...

1.  You had more patience with everything and everyone.
2.  You felt happier
3.  You were more motivated
4.  You had more energy and could exercise (if you wanted to)
5.  You could drive more than 15 minutes and not feel like closing your eyes

Somnoplasty is an in office procedure that has gotten some positive results.  This procedure uses radio frequency energy that shrinks the lose tissue in the back of the throat.  If you are still looking for a treatment that will work for you...somnoplasty might be an option.  The ENT physicians at The University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell describe somnoplasty the best.

Sleep apnea: New palatal implants get FDA approval

One of the newer procedures for sleep apnea is called the pillar palatal procedure.  It is taking the lead not only because of the positive results but also because it's a minimally invasive surgery meaning shorter recovery time.  The patient can be done in 10 minutes with very little discomfort.  The pillar is the only office based minimally invasive surgery to be FDA approved for treating snoring and sleep apnea while other minimally invasive surgeries are approved for treating snoring only.

This surgery entails placing three tiny woven inserts or implants into the soft palate with a needle.  The inserts firm the soft, loose tissue as the body makes scar tissue in response to the inserts.  The stiffening effect decreases the vibration in the soft palate. This surgery has been said to be comparable to UPPP (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) but without the recovery time.  It is performed with local anesthetic and is completed in about 10 minutes.  It is recommended for mild to moderate sleep apnea.

Webmd posted that this is such a simple procedure that "if there's any benefit at all, I don't see why you wouldn't do it," says Regina P. Walker, MD, associate professor of otolaryngology at Loyola University Medical Center.

This surgery is definitely worth looking into if you are not a fan of the CPAP or if you're someone who has just been diagnosed with mild to moderate apnea.