Services Provided

Snoring / Sleep Apnea

Snoring affects almost 1/3 of us as we age. It can be a frequent complaint of family, friends, spouses and life partners. While it is definitely an annoyance, snoring itself is not a serious health concern, but may affect your quality of life. On the other hand, sleep apnea is a medical condition requiring treatment to prevent long term health problems related to the heart and lungs. Your first visit with the doctor will center on distinguishing snoring from sleep apnea. This may or may not require a sleep study.

Many treatments for snoring have been developed. These can be divided into lifestyle modifications and surgical procedures. Many of you have already tried conservative measures which include: weight loss, change in sleep position, various pillow, breath rite stripes and dental devices. Also CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) is an excellent treatment for sleep apnea and in certain circumstances may be used in isolated snoring.

A partial list of surgical procedures to treat snoring and sleep apnea:

• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
• Septoplasty and turbinate reduction
• Cautery assisted palatal stiffening operation (CAPSO)
• Palatal implant / the Pillar Procedure
• Radiofrequency/coblation palatoplasty

Snoring is most often caused by air flowing past the soft palate and uvula (palatal flutter). Most procedures are directed at stiffening the palate to prevent the flutter or snoring.

Our physicians have experience with all procedures to treat snoring, but we have embraced Coblation Palatoplasty as our treatment of choice. We feel that it provides the best in-office treatment for snoring while minimizing pain and complications. This procedure is typically successful in reducing snoring but not eliminating it completely.

Coblation Palatoplasty

Your physician will determine if you are a candidate for this procedure based on your history and physical exam.

Procedure:

Typically, 3 separate visits are required to stiffen the palate (each 4 – 6 weeks apart. At each visit your physician will place numbing medicine into the back of your throat prior to the procedure. The procedure itself consists of passing a probe several times into your palatal tissue to deliver low frequency energy thereby stiffening and reducing the palate tissue.

Risks:

Discomfort in the throat often described as a mild sore throat for 7 – 10 days can usually be treated with extra strength Tylenol or Motrin. Your physician may provide you with a few doses of prescription pain medicine. Bleeding can occur but is usually minimal. Ulceration of the palate is unlikely. If the palate is thin this can occur, but typically it heals over a few weeks.

Preop/Postop:

Avoid medicines such as Vitamin E, Ginkgo, Aspirin and aspirin containing products 1 week prior to the procedure. Expect worse snoring up to 10 days after the procedure secondary to swelling of the palate. Elevating your head when you sleep for the first few days will help with the swelling.

The Pillar Procedure

Your physician will determine if you are a candidate for this procedure based on your history and physical exam.

Procedure:

The Pillar procedure addresses one of the anatomical components of sleep apnea and snoring. During the Pillar procedure, three tiny woven inserts are placed in the soft palate to help reduce both the vibration that causes snoring and the ability of the soft palate to obstruct the airway. Once in place, the Pillar inserts add structural support to the soft palate. Over time, the body’s natural tissue response to the inserts increases the structural integrity of the soft palate.

Risks:

Minor bleeding, rarely a pillar implant may extrude (come out) and need to be repositioned.

Preop/Postop:

Many patients resume normal diet and activities the same day.

reference: www.restoremedical.com

Allergy Testing & Immunotherapy

Allergies are the result of the body’s abnormal response to normally harmless substances (allergens). The body can produce symptoms such as runny nose, recurrent ear fluid, nasal congestion, recurrent sinus congestion and infections, headaches, hives, asthma, stomach complaints, itchy eyes, and skin conditions in response to allergens. We test for specific allergens that are airborne in the areas in which we live, usually pollens, dust, molds, and animals. Since some of the pollens are more allergenic than other, the ones that are most allergenic and prevalent in this area are tested.

Allergy testing and treatment are a way of controlling allergy problems to help the patient feel normal again. Allergy treatment is not a cure. Treatment is aimed at improving symptoms by habituating the immune system and deceasing the need for medications. Testing provides the information needed to start therapy at a level specific to the patients reactivity to specific allergens.

Ask your doctor if allergy testing is right for you.