A combination of surgical techniques may bring hope to sleep apnea patients who struggle to sleep with a CPAP.
TUESDAY, Sept. 8, 2020 -- Continuous positive airway pressure may be the go-to treatment for sleep apnea, but many people struggle to use it every night. For those who cannot tolerate CPAP, new research finds that a combination of surgical techniques may bring relief.
"Obstructive sleep apnea is common and many people cannot use the main treatments, like CPAP masks. Surgery is a valid option when an expert surgeon is involved, and it can improve outcomes," said the study's lead author, Dr. Stuart MacKay. He's an honorary clinical professor of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery at University of Wollongong, in Australia.The researchers said that nearly one billion people worldwide suffer from sleep apnea.
Half of the volunteers were randomly assigned to receive the sleep apnea surgery, while the other 51 continued with medical treatment. Medical management consisted of encouraging weight loss, drinking less alcohol, changing sleep posture and medical treatment for nasal obstruction.MacKay said the multilevel surgical technique is widely available in many parts of the world. For the patients in this study, surgeries were performed by seven experienced surgeons.
Dr. Steven Feinsilver is director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He said,"Sleep apnea is a very common disease, about as common as diabetes, and similar to diabetes is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular events, such as stroke and heart disease."Feinsilver said that surgery that could provide a permanent cure has long been the goal for treatment.
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