Jaw Surgery Forums » Pre-Surgery Questions

Sleep apnea surgery

(9 posts)
  • Started 1 year ago by camsgirl09
  • Latest reply from camsgirl09
  • 2 Members Subscribed To Topic

  1. camsgirl09
    Member

    hi my name is Erin
    i live in California San Jose area
    i was wondering if anyone has done the upper and lower surgery for sleep apnea?
    I had a sleep test and they say that the CPAP wound't help me in the long run but im thinking of getting this surgery in the next couple of months as soon as summer comes around. i have read most of this forum and most of you have had it for orthodontic reasons i was just wondering if anyone has done it for your air way thru your throat sort of deal.
    if anyone has done if for this reason let me kno cause it would be a great thing to know!

    Posted 1 year ago #

  2. Brandon
    Site Administrator

    Hi Erin,

    While I haven't heard anyone on here yet discuss this, I have read about it in my extensive research of jaw surgery in general, so hopefully someone whose had it done will see this and chime in as well.

    I'm Brandon, the creator of JawSurgeryBlog.com. I personally had upper and lower jaw surgery on October 30, 2007. Thankfully, everything went beautifully, so I'm trying to make sure everyone else's surgery goes smoothly as well!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Corrective-Jaw-Surgery/114627165257701
    Posted 1 year ago #

  3. lucrezia
    Member

    Hi Erin!

    I had upper jaw surgery about a month ago. My surgeon and orthodontist both tell me there is no way that I didn't have sleep apnea, because of the structure of my upper jaw and sinuses. I never had a sleep test done to see if I had sleep apnea, but I didn't think I'd had symptoms...
    I was able to tell a difference immediately when I woke up from the surgery that I could breathe so much easier through my nose. I have also noticed I wake up now feeling more rested and I don't wake up coughing through the night...which can both be signs/symptoms of sleep apnea.
    I've also had a history of chronic sinus infections that will hopefully be better now that everything is "opened up" more and can drain more normally.

    Hope this helps...you should definitely consider seeing a maxillofacial surgeon to help you sort out all the facts.

    Good luck to you :)

    I had upper jaw surgery 2/3/10...well on my way to recovery, a great smile and finally being able to chew normally!
    Posted 1 year ago #

  4. justgotgrills
    Member

    Hi Erin.
    I haven't had surgery yet, but I do have mild sleep apnea. I had a sleep test a couple of weeks ago and it showed it's mild and I don't need CPAP. I was hoping to have the surgery paid for by the insurance, but I'm not sure they will cover it because it's so mild. The OS was going to send in a letter to the insurance company anyway. I would think with a Type 2 bite sleep apnea may be fairly common. Anyway, I don't think this helps you much. I just wanted you to know you're not alone.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. linzbyrd
    Member

    Hi Erin. I have severe sleep apnea which is the main reason why I had my jaw surgery. I had the upper and lower jaw surgery to correct my sleep apnea on January 26, 2010. My airway was more than doubled! I don't even snore anymore. Keep in mind that my surgery was less than 2 months ago, but still, the difference is night and day. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, I totally recommend this. It has seriously changed my life for the better

    Posted 1 year ago #

  6. Brandon
    Site Administrator

    Awesome, Linz! Great to hear it was so successful for exactly this situation!

    Posted 1 year ago #

  7. camsgirl09
    Member

    thanks a bunch but i'm still not sure still. i have OSA my doctor told me so. he said that the muscular surgery's wouldn't help my situation.. He either recommended the CPAP or an orthodontal piece to be put in my mouth at night specifically. i also have a double uvula but ive heard it doesn't help much if i cut them both off. this is very frustrating.. i cant seem to find the right way to fix this... i will in the future have kids and all and im worried if i dont get this fixed now i will always have this problem and i dont want it at all. im afraid it will ruin my sleeping relationship with my husband also. i kno that i think for me to conquer this problem forever is to have this specific surgery for the furture in my life.

    thanks
    Erin :)

    Posted 1 year ago #

  8. Mark
    Member

    Hey guys, two weeks out from getting upper and lower moved 10+ mm to address sleep apnea issues. I was diagnosed with "mild" sleep apnea several years ago and have tried both the machine as well as a dental appliance. Since my "mild" sleep apnea was the equivalent of 36 interruptions per hour I feel really sorry for anyone with more than that. To Erin specifically, if you can get this done now then go for it as it would be hugely inconvenieint once you have kids. Plus, I am 43 and I swear the recovery is worse than if I would have done it in my twenties!! I have already stopped using my CPAP and the other method(s)you list have about a 50% success rate versus jaw surgery havinga 90% success rate. Not to mention that after using a dental appliance for a number of years I have had to get braces for the second time in my life which really sucks! I'm still not sleeping 100% but I think it will only improve as the swelling continues to go down. I won't kid you, the recovery definitely sucks but when you compare the relatively short term pain for the long term gain then it becomes an easy equation. Lastly, a reality check.....your sleep apnea will always be directly related to your body weight. So if you have the surgery to widen your airway but are packing a bunch of extra weight then you may find yourself back at square one......I know this will be my greatest challenge. Let me know if you have any other questions I might be able to answer!

    Posted 1 year ago #

  9. camsgirl09
    Member

    hey thanks for helping out! i finally went to my sleep doc and he referred me to the original person who sent me there lol. so tomorrow i will see my ENT to see what she thinks to do. im finally thinking that this surgery will help me in the long run and so. yea my sleep doc today was still trying to sell me on the CPAP and i definetly am not falling for it.

    Posted 1 year ago #

  10. smithgerry
    Member

    When a person with disruptive sleep apnea considers all the options for treatment, he or she may be tempted to not find any of them. The masks and dental appliances have to be worn every night and the surgeries are painful and have no guarantee that they will be successful. When considering the consequences of all the treatments; however, it is important to remember that there are consequences of not receiving treatment.

    Fulvic Acid
    Posted 1 year ago #

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