Sleep Apnea Treatment
Sleep Apnea Treatment > Benefits of Correcting Sleep Apnea
The Benefits of Correcting Sleep Apnea
Through either surgical procedures or non-surgical treatments, patients who have been successfully treated for Sleep Apnea will dramatically improve the quality of their lives. They will be less drowsy during the daytime, note increased memory and concentration, see better work performance and a happier mood, and experience less health risks such as significant heart problems, high blood pressure or strokes.
General indications for medical or surgical management:
- Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS)
- Apnea Hypoapnea Index (AHI) >20
- Oxygen saturation < 90%
- Arrhythmias and Cardiac diease
- Negative esophageal pressure, and increased negative pressure than -10 cm H20 during sleep
Medical management:
- CPAP/ Nasal CPAP
- Weight loss
- Sleep hygiene
- Dental appliance
- Nasal Appliance
- Oropharyngeal Exercise
Factors Effecting the Surgical Outcome:
| Favorable | Unfavorable | |
| Age | Younger patients (< 60 y.o.) | Older patients (> 60 y.o.) |
| Body habitus | Non-obese | Obese |
| OSA severity | Mild to moderate (AHI <30) | Severe (AHI > 30) |
| Site of obstruction | Oropharyngeal (with tonsils) | Hypopharyngeal |
Defining Surgical Success
- Improvement in quality of life with reduction of sleep apnea symptoms
- Achieving AHI to less than 20 and reducing AHI by greater than 50%
- Improvement of oxygen nadir to 90% with few desaturations to below 90%