Apr 25, 2013

Learn more about surgery for sleep apnea and snoring.

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By Michael Larkin


UPPP is a major surgery for obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. This surgical procedure may not always work and has some risky side effects that go along with it.

The surgery removes excess tissues of the mouth and throat to open up the airway more. This helps with the tissues and tongue from blocking the airway.

There are a couple reasons why you may be a good candidate for this surgery. If you are tired of having to rely on a CPAP or a CPAP machine simply doesn't work for you. There are many other options to treat sleep apnea than a CPAP or surgery though.

What are some of the tissues removed during UPPP surgery? The uvula, a section of the soft palate, the tonsils, adenoids and other tissues of the throat may all be removed.

If an enlarged tongue is a major cause of sleep apnea, there is a different procedure called uvulopalatopharyngoglossoplasty. This surgery removes part of the enlarged tongue. This helps from the tongue blocking the whole airway.

UPPP has some side effects that can come with it. Some of the side effects are speech problems; nasally sound in the voice; swelling; bleeding; infection; prolonged pain; tastes for food change; may not even treat OSA; extended use of paid medications; a CPAP may still need to be used after and surgery complications.

There have been mixed results with cases for this surgery. In some it completely works with out any complications. In other cases it doesn't work and causes some risky side effects.

The surgery may treat snoring, but not sleep apnea. Snoring is one of the biggest warning signs for OSA. If there is no longer snoring that occurs, there can still be the health risks of sleep apnea lingering. It is important to have someone monitor your sleep for a few days after the procedure has been done.

UPPP surgery for sleep apnea is successful for some people and has a lot of benefits that can come with it. It also has some negative side effects that may not be for some people. There are risks when it comes to all surgeries. This surgery for sleep apnea is not a guarantee and there are many other safe alternatives out there. Consult your doctor for the right guidance on if this surgery may be right for you.




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