Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)
CPAP, is the use of continuous positive airway pressure to deliver continuous airway pressure, through a nasal or face-mask. When the CPAP is adjusted properly and tolerated, this method is nearly 100% effective in eliminating or reducing OSA.
Unfortunately, reports suggest that only 60% of people with CPAP machines, use them and only 45% of them actually use them for longer than 4 hours per night.
Dental Appliance
In some instances a dental appliance
can be used to prevent OSA. A dental appliance will hold a jaw in place, keep
the tongue forward and hold the palate up, thus preventing closure of the
airway. This small increase in airway size sometimes is enough to control OSA.
What are the surgical treatments for Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
There are a number of surgical
options to treat OSA. The type of surgery that is suggested will be based
around an individual’s specific anatomy and the severity of the sleep apnea.
At The Private Clinic, they offer
free sleep apnea consultations during which their expert doctors will perform a medical assessment to establish whether or not you may be
suffering from sleep apnea and to understand the severity of your condition.
The treatments currently offered at
The Private Clinic are as follows:
Laser Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty
(LAUP)
LAUP is a simple procedure performed
under local anaesthetic to target the excess vibration of the soft palate and
uvula (the stalactite of flesh at the back of the throat).
During the procedure, the patient
sits in a chair whilst the ENT Surgeon uses a laser to remodel the excess
vibrating soft tissue at the back of the throat.
It is a popular procedure in the UK,
to date over 20,000 procedures have been performed.
Bipolar Radiofrequency
Thermotherapy (RFITT)
BFITT is a radio frequency
treatment, which tightens the muscle within the soft palate causing less
vibration during sleep.
The procedure involves numbing the
back of the throat with a local anaesthetic and targeting it with a slim pen
that emits a high frequency. The heat causes the muscle to tighten – which it
continues to do so in the weeks following treatment, with the maximum benefit
being achieved after six months.
Unblocking the nose
In some cases the nasal cavity can
be obstructed by swelling of the turbinates and septal deviation, causing
snoring.
To unblock the nose, we use a
minimally invasive procedure to reduce enlarged fleshy ridges or ‘turbinates’
at the entrance of the sinuses or to correct a deviated septum (a buckled
partition between the two nostrils). A nasal obstruction makes CPAP difficult
if not impossible to tolerate. Surgery to open the nasal passages markedly
improves tolerance to CPAP.
To find out more
information about Sleep Apnea, visit the Private Clinic website.
About The Private Clinic
The Private Clinic of Harley Street has clinics in London - Harley Street, London - Knightsbridge, London - City, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and Glasgow.
For almost 30 years they have provided the latest technologies and the most successful sleep problems and snoring treatment available.
