Does anyone have experience with the pillar procedure, to me that seems to be the way to go.

My hubby Mr Vader is a bi-pap (12/8 pressure) user for 7+ years.  He had a tonsillectomy, UPPP, deviated septum and Genio-Glossus Advancement (GGA) done 10/30.  The GGA is simplistically where they tighten the tongue tendons to keep the tongue from falling back in the mouth.  They go in thru a small hole they make in the gums under the front teeth.   He spent the night in ICU and came home the next day.  He was given LIQUID medications ( make sure and ask for those!).  He is a big guy, and has a high tolerance for pain ( about 12 piercings - many of which he did himself)   He was in a huge amount of pain and discomfort, and after 5 days of hell - the doctor's office advised he had a bad reaction to the Roxicet, and he moved to a Oxycodone derivitive.  That helped - and he said at least the days sweats and worst nightmares in his life stopped.  16 days post op he sneezed -- and lost the scab on the right tonsil. He bled like someone had literaly cut his throat.  Trip to the ER and we got the bleeding stopped.  I think he probably had the worst experience possible... so maybe this will give you some perspective of what CAN happen in a worst-case scenario.  He was off work 5 weeks ( his work is very physical) and I was off 2 to take care of him - and telecommuted/went in part time for another week or so.  He has some issues now with speech - he gets tongue tied -- o's (like in word 'old') expecially are hard for him to say now.  He said frankly he wishes he'd not done it all in one surgery..... but nothing like 20-20 hindsite.  Reccomendations- get a second and possibly third opinion....ASK around about the surgeon reputation wise ( is was EXCELLENT) - be prepared for the worst, take plenty of time off!  make sure you have someone to take care of you - and someone who will call the doctors and hound them as necessary.    He goes back in mid Feb for a new sleep test.  We weren't expecting a total cure - but we are hoping for improvement and time will tell.  BEST WISHES TO ALL!!!   check out www.osasurgery.com for details on GGA, and other procedures.
Mrs. Vader ( Cpap and staying...)

I am going in tomorrow for my uppp at 12pm. I will keep up with everyone when i can with what is going on with recovery.

So here is my question with the UPPP. My pressure on my cpap starts at 11 and usually ends up around 18 for the night.  I am having a terrible time finding a mask that doesn't leak when I sleep on my side since my wife says I snore worse on my back.  I have tried the 1/2 face, full face and nasal pillows and still have leaks.  Yes even with the leaks I still feel better with cpap than without it.  My doc is looking at the whole tonsillectomy and probably removing the adenoids also.  In my best night of snoring I can make my tonsils so inflamed they touch. Definitely not sure what to do now.  help please

churchmt, you didn't really say what your question was with the UPPP after all. I will assume your asking if it will help your snoring problem?  I had UPPP and tonsillectomy 15 Dec (11 days ago). My understanding is that the procedure is in the high 90's being effective on snoring problems and lower for curing apnea, more in the range of 30-85 (but only for mild to moderate apnea's).  The success rate goes down quickly for any apnea above moderate. I happen to be moderate apnea, but of course I have not been retested yet since the surgery and wont be for a couple of months. I really just turned the corner pain wise on recovery 2 days ago. It was very painful the first 7 days. It is virtually gone now (comparitively speaking), and I am just having trouble still with swallowing some foods (has to be small pieces). Now that the swelling has gone down, I already notice a huge difference in my breathing. I can't try sleeping without my CPAP yet, the wound from the surgery needs to stay as moist as possible, so I crank up the humidity on the CPAP. I am a stomach/side sleeper and have fought leak problems on/off for the two years I've been on CPAP. I do know I love the comfort get mask; after I boiled it and it formed to my face I had a lot less leaking and didn't have to crank down the straps so tight it would cause headaches, great mask for me. BTW, my pressure is 12.

Well, I would hate to go through all the pain and have it make no difference.  Hear and read alot of negatives with the whole surgery.  Do you think it is worth it?

Churchmt,

Are you talking about having just your tonsils and adnoids removed?  A UPPP is a very different surgery.  If your tonsils get so inflammed they touch, then it sounds like you have chronically infected tonsils and that is a problem all by itself, forget the snoring/apnea.  What does your ENT say?

Vicki


_________________
That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

Dear Everyone, I just found your forum, and boy am I glad I did.  After trying CPAP to little avail (couldn't handle the high pressure), I just had UPP surgery, septum revision, and rhinoplasty (they were going in anyway, so what the heck).  Surgery was last Friday (12/22).  Throat pain is tolerable if I take the Lortab liquid painkiller and the tetracaine spray.  I can eat soft foods like pudding and applesauce, but toast is akin to eating a hot waffle iron.  The big problem is, as one of you noted, trying to sleep.  I haven't gotten more than an hour of continual sleep since the procedure.  It seems that this is because my nostrils are still swollen and congested, causing me to breathe -- if at all -- orally.  Needless to say, this irritates my already irritated throat and wakes me up.  Also, the sound of air trying to move through these newly-redesigned passages keeps me awake, too.    After five days on Lortab, I thought I was overdoing the opiates; so I thought I would dial it back a bit after last evening.  Bad decision.  Now, I will take the meds as directed because that is all that keeps my head and throat from replaying a scene from The Inferno.  Please forgive the ramblings -- Lortab makes you think you are making sense when, well, you know.  Question: has anyone else had nasal swelling that blocks nasal breathing a week post op?  Thanks for sharing your experiences with me.  David

Reading these postings has been really comforting. I would recommend 3-4 weeks off. I took 10 days off work because the ENT thought that was all I needed. I definitely needed more time.

Okay, now I am scared to death! I was not told any of these things about this surgery. Just that I would be in a lot of pain for a week or two. After reading all of these posts I am really feeling sick. I go in today at 4:00. I have severe obstructive sleep apnea and I can't tolerate the C-Pap either. Tried 3 masks and the pillows but the pressure is just too high and I end up with it off every night. I finally quit trying. Without it I don't know that I'm waking up all the time but with it I wake up and know it all night. Make sense? So I am hoping for the best with this surgery. I have been told it won't cure me but possibly will take my oxygen level at night, from 70 to maybe 90. That has got to help. So I'm doing this to help me tolerate the C-Pap better. I have had so many health problems this year (I'm only 43) and I just can't help but think it has to do with this OSA. I was diagnosed the end of last year and since then have been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney stones, huge ovarian cyst, and blood clots in my lungs. I am about 50 lbs overweight also. So I feel like this surgery may help to save my life. I sure hope I'm right because I sure don't want to go through this suffering for nothing. I will check in with you all after I get home from the hospital! Thank's for all the advice and suggestions on food and meds.

Ronda

I'm worried because Heather hasn't written in since her surgery. It's been a few days. Just wondering how it went? But then by the time you write back I'll be in there! EEEK!!! I sure hope it went well for you. Let us know!

Ronda

i was in the hospital for two days and i am doing pretty good. i am staying medicated really good i got home last night lots of popsicles  a little apple sauce and jello but popsicles are best

they were really good to me in the hospital. I was going to be home on wednesday but oxygen level was still to low and i was not taking in enough liquids like i should have so they kept me longer. Just make sure you tell them if you are in pain to make sure you get the right amount of pain meds. They gave me morphine and oxycodone liquid   that is how i look now .now that is what i am on now the also gave me lorazepam 1 mg to help clam me to sleep which was nice . I have lost 17 lbs since surgery and that is a good thing. I am not in as much pain as i thought i would be in but doing lots better. my throat is full of stitches and they are bugging the heck out of me , still swollen and will get better soon. if this makes no since i am under the in influence lol

Heather, glad to hear recovery is going well so far. Hang in there, it does get better. For me, days 8 & 9 were much better. Slurpee's are awesome for the pain, if you get the chance, try it out.

i went and got ice packs and childrens motrin and childrens tylenal all liquids so i wont feel so doped up any more . and lots of the mouth wash stuff to numb it all