Sleep Apnea Surgery Success Rate – Some Considerations

One of the frequent asked question for sleep apnea sufferers would be: should i take sleep apnea surgery? If sleep apnea is seriously causing a huge problem for you and  your family members, and  you have tried all the other alternatives that didn’t work, then perhaps you can take it further with sleep apnea surgery. However, do remember that this is a big decision that you might want to thoroughly consider. You should understand that such surgical procedure might not be always 100% successful, and it might comes with side effects.

Currently there are a few types of sleep apnea surgery that would aid to remove sleep apnea, including the most popular UPPP (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty). This is a kind of operation with the main purpose to widen your airway and cure your sleep apnea symptoms. The disadvantages of this surgery would be the high cost, and you would need a second surgery if the blockage returns. UPPP sleep apnea surgery might also cause potential blood hemorrhage, post surgical infection, and swallowing issues. Speech functions would be affected as well if it is serious.

Another sleep apnea surgery – LAUP (Laser Assisted Uvuloplasty) functions to remove the blockage tissue as well as uvula to clear the blockage of your airway. This surgical procedure do not remove tonsils. One good thing about LAUP is it has quite a high success rate. However, do prepare to accept some minor voice quality changes, as well as some other side effects such as mouth dryness and periodic ear pain.

Or perhaps you can consider CAPSO (Cautery Assisted Palatal Stiffening Operation). This sleep apnea surgery works to burn the palate to make it harden so that it would be easily vibrated. Should you try this ? Probably not. This methods is currently still under experimental stage and not clinically proven to be effective. 

The success rate is also not high.

Tracheotomy, another sleep apnea surgery, would cause you quite some pain by making an opening in your trachea to clear the air blockage. There are also several cons associated with this methods, including leaving a scar behind your neck area, as well as constant follow-up surgery required if needed.

In short, you should always try other alternative to treat your sleep apnea before turning to your last resort of sleep apnea surgery. It is always better to try the non-invasive sleep apnea treatment options first to treat your sleep apnea symptoms before investing too much money and risking your health for such surgery. While one might be benefited by such surgery, other might not. Is a life changing decision that need serious consideration.