Will Sinus Surgery Help With Snoring

In Office Balloon Sinuplasty

Dr. Cilento was one of the early pioneers of in office balloon sinuplasty during his military career. It is widely accepted as a safe and effective cure for chronic sinusitis with success rates near 95%. It is a popular procedure due to its ease and effectiveness combined with its safety.

Instead of cutting open the sinuses, we use a balloon to gently dilate the sinus openings. The process permanently remodels the sinuses to help restore natural flow patterns. Dr Cilento can perform this in our state of the art surgical suite. Patients are either awake , or under twilight anesthesia. We use the most experienced Board Certified Anesthesiologists and CRNAs in Houston for all anesthesia procedures.

What Are Some Risks To Untreated Snoring

Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that causes snoring. A patient with a blocked or narrow nasal or throat airway can sometimes feel things are closing up and stop breathing. It could happen several times at night, depriving your body and brain of the much-needed oxygen.

Sleep apnea can expose you to long-term health problems. Some of the symptoms include loud snores, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, and mood changes. Additionally, patients cannot concentrate and experience fatigue.

Sleep deprivation from snoring will have significant effects on your health. Patients experience sleepiness during the day. The lack of sleep also affects your mood and mental health.

Additionally, sleep deprivation causes a healthy environment for dangerous ailments like diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

Palatal Surgery For Snoring

The most common surgery performed for snoring is surgery to the soft palate.

This area along with the dangling tissue in the midline is the most common source of soft tissue vibration that gives rise to snoring.

If the tonsils are still present, tonsil removal in combination with soft palate repositioning is the mainstay of palate surgery.

Both of these surgical options aim to better position the soft palate to limit collapse and lessen snoring-producing vibration.

There are many variations of these surgical treatments but the most commonly used in our practice is the modified Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty which repositions the palate to a more favourable position, reducing the intensity of snoring.

Palatal surgical procedures include:

• Variations of mUPPP depending on anatomy
• Coblation channeling to the palate
• Injection “Snoreplasty”

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What Risks Are Involved

Although risks are minimized in the hands of a skilled surgeon, patients should be aware of any potential complications associated with their procedure. Some risks associated with septoplasty and rhinoplasty include: bleeding or infection, decreased sense of smell, temporary numbness in the teeth or nose, the need for a corrective or follow-up procedure and persistence of previous symptoms, such as snoring, despite surgery. These risks and others will be fully discussed prior to your surgery.

What Are The Treatment Options

Palatal Procedures

Palatal ImplantsA pillar procedure involves surgically placing rigid fiber implants or suspension sutures into the roof of the mouth . This is performed under local anesthesia in the office. The implants, in conjunction with the bodys scarring response, help stiffen the palate and lessen vibration and flutter that causes snoring. Barbed suspension sutures may also be used to shorten or lift the palate. Potential benefits of this method include mild discomfort and fast recovery. Complications are rare but include implant or suture extrusion, or infection, that may require removal and replacement. Pillar® implants have a relatively high cost, and additional palatal modification procedures may be needed, such as shortening the uvula or a long palate.

Injection SnoreplastyIn this method, also done under local anesthesia in the office, a chemical is injected into the soft palate. The subsequent inflammation and scar tissue stiffen the palate, decreasing vibration and snoring. The most commonly used agent is sodium tetradecyl sulfate, which has also been used to treat varicose veins. Injection snoreplasty has a lower cost than other methods, but is associated with more pain and recovery time. Some patients may also require additional injection treatments to achieve optimal results.

Tonsillectomy/Adenoidectomy

Nasal Surgery

Over-the-counter Remedies

Some at-home, over-the-counter remedies you can try to help alleviate snoring include:

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Beware Of Sleep Apnea

A deviated septum is harmless in many cases. For some, this simple issue could be the underlying cause of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a severe sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If a person snores loudly and feels tired even after a whole nights sleep, sleep apnea may be to blame. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to insomnia, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and a reduced lifespan.

Surgery For Structural Defects

Snoring is sometimes the result of structural issues that may include a deviated septum, which is the structure that separates your nostrils. If this is whats likely contributing to your snoring and breathing irregularities, surgery may be recommended to move your septum to a normal position. Surgery may also be necessary if you have a cleft palate thats affecting your upper airway, although this is more common in children. Surgery specifically for snoring may include:

• Uvula shortening
• Palatal implants to prevent collapse of the soft palate when sleeping
• Heat removal of uvula and soft palate tissues
• Surgically increasing airway space by removing certain tissues

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How Does The Balloon Sinuplasty Procedure Work

A sinus specialist often performs a Balloon sinuplasty in an office setting. There is no need for general anesthesia, and the patient can take oral medication to help calm their nerves before the procedure. Your doctor will often give you a drug like Valium to take 1-2 hours before the procedure. They will also add topical medication to numb the nose and sinus areas before the treatment.

If you are worried about pain during the procedure, it will feel like a visit to the dentist. During the procedure, the doctor inserts an endoscope to help them see inside your nose. They then will proceed to insert a balloon-shaped catheter into your nose. Once it is in place, they inflate the balloon slowly to enlarge and redesign your sinuses. They will then remove the balloon catheter once each sinus has been opened up.

Balloon sinuplasty is a short procedure that will take under an hour or less to complete right in the comfort of an office setting. You will also not need hospitalization after treatment.

Improve Your Sleep Cycle

When a patient has not had adequate sleep lately they also tend to drop into a very deep sleep immediately. They are much more likely to snore in this deep level of sleep. This typically may be when the bed partner is still awake or lightly sleeping and will be more bothersome. Make sure you are getting adequate time for sleep each night to avoid snoring at sleep onset.

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Midline Glossectomy And Lingualplasty

Midline glossectomy surgery is used to reduce the size of the tongue and increase the size of your airway. One common midline glossectomy procedure involves removing parts of the middle and back of the tongue. Sometimes, a surgeon will also trim the tonsils and partially remove the epiglottis.

Side effects differ depending on which type of snoring surgery you receive. However, some common side effects of these surgeries overlap, including:

• pain and soreness
• infection
• physical discomfort, such as the feeling of having something in your throat or on top of your mouth
• sore throat

While most side effects last only a few weeks after surgery, some can be more long-lasting. This may include:

• dryness in your nose, mouth, and throat
• snoring that continues
• trouble breathing
• change in voice

If you develop a fever after surgery or experience severe pain, call your doctor right away. These are signs of a possible infection.

Treatment Options For Adults With Snoring

Snoring is a sound produced by the vibration of the soft tissues of the upper airway during sleep as muscles relax and air has to flow through a narrowed throat. Studies estimate that 45 percent of men and 30 percent of women snore on a regular basis. It can affect not only the snorers sleep, but also the sleep of a spouse, partner, or other family members nearby. In fact, snoring causes many couples to sleep in separate rooms, and often places a strain on marriages and relationships. Recent evidence suggests that severe, chronic snoring may even cause thickening of the carotid arteries and potentially increase the risk of stroke.

Snoring may also be a sign of a more serious health condition known as obstructive sleep apnea , characterized by a repetitive complete or partial obstruction of breathing that can occur hundreds of times throughout the night. Most patients who snore should receive a comprehensive sleep evaluation by a trained physician, that often includes sleep testing performed in the home or at a sleep laboratory.

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Congestion Efficacy In Rhinosinusitis

Only one study reported the effect of an oral antihistamine on nasal congestion in patients with acute rhinosinusitis. This study demonstrated that, in patients with allergic rhinitis experiencing acute exacerbations of rhinosinusitis, loratadine significantly improved nasal obstruction compared with placebo after 28 days of treatment.31

How Can A Septoplasty Help With Sleep Apnea Casued By A Deviated Septum

Your ENT doctor will use an endoscope, a thin, light instrument with a tiny camera on its end, to observe the shape of your septum and determine whether it may be contributing to your sleep apnea. If you have a deviated septum and sleep apnea, if your doctor believes that treating your deviated septum will relieve you of your snoring and sleep apnea symptoms, and if you have exhausted other treatment options, then he or she may recommend you as a candidate for the septoplasty procedure.

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What Happens During And After Surgery

The ENT surgeon gives local or general anesthesia to the patient for the duration of the 60 to 90-minute procedure. He or she accesses the nasal septum through the nostrils and makes an incision in the soft layer of tissue that lines the septum and nasal passages. The surgeon will shift the deviated septum back into its proper position and remove any other obstructions, such as bone or cartilage.

After surgery, packing materials or stitches are commonly used to control bleeding and maintain a straight septum. Once the effects of anesthesia have worn off, patients are able to go home. To ensure a quick recovery, patients should elevate their head while sleeping and avoid strenuous activity.

Get Your Full 40 Winks With Balloon Sinuplasty

Sinus snoring is treatable. Balloon sinuplasty is a quick, practically painless, in-office procedure with little to no recovery time. Dr. Bequer, a leading ENT doctor and balloon sinuplasty physician, performs balloon sinuplasty in Tampa and West Palm Beach.

Fall asleep knowing that youre no longer struggling with sinus problems and snoring. Call Sinus Solutions of South Florida at to request a consultation today.

Related Sinus Conditions & Problems

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What Results And Benefits Can I Look Forward To

Following septoplasty or rhinoplasty, your incisions should heal quickly and you may notice improvements to your breathing shortly after the procedure. Most swelling will diminish within a few weeks and youll feel comfortable with your appearance in public. The complete healing process, however, will be slow. Cartilage and other nasal tissues can take three to six months to settle into their new shape. Its possible for changes to occur up to a year after surgery. Patients report experiencing a variety of benefits include less difficulty breathing, better sleep and reduction of snoring, as well as improved appearance of the nose, better balance with other facial features and greater confidence.

Results Of A Septoplasty & Recovery

Your breathing will improve following the procedure and will continue to improve as your nose heals. Septoplasty can be very effective in treating sleep apnea. To learn more about treating snoring and sleep apnea conditions and to determine if you are a candidate for the septoplasty procedure, schedule an appointment with one of our board-certified eos sleep specialists.

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What Causes Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea can be caused by a variety of issues, one of which is a blocked airway. If the nasal septum, the bone and cartilage that divides the two nostrils in the nose, is bent it can block the flow of air. Also known as a deviated septum, this misalignment causes snoring and sleep apnea problems.

How Is It Treated

Treatment depends on the severity of your symptoms and the root cause of the problem. Common treatments for snoring and sleep apnea include the following:

• Breathing Devices: Continuous positive airway pressure masks are designed to help you breathe more easily by providing a continuous stream of air that helps to keep your airways open throughout the night. The CPAP mask covers your nose and mouth as such, many patients find the mask uncomfortable and do not receive the relief that they seek.
• Surgery: If non-invasive treatment methods, like the CPAP mask, arent effective treatment options then surgical procedures should be considered. Septoplasty is a common procedure used to treat sleep apnea patients with a deviated septum.

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What Is Sinus Surgery

Sinus surgery is a procedure that aims to open the pathways of the sinuses and clear blockages. This is an option for people with ongoing and recurrent sinus infections, for people with abnormal sinus structure, or abnormal growths in the sinus.

A doctor will often attempt other treatments and procedures before resorting to surgery. If these dont work, surgery may be carried out.

Sinus surgery can be done with little discomfort. It is a brief procedure that has few complications.

The goal of the surgery is to remove whatever is blocking the drainage pathways of the sinuses. This may include removing:

• thin pieces of bone

• sleep apnea

Other reasons

Sinus surgery may also be required due to other infections, ongoing blockages, abnormal growths, and other issues that cause inflammation in the nasal passages and sinuses.

The most common type of sinus surgery is endoscopic sinus surgery. However, there are other procedures that may be carried out.

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery

FESS is carried out with a tool called an endoscope. This is an illuminated, thin fiber-optic tube. The endoscope is inserted into the nose to reach the openings of the sinuses.

Micro-telescopes and surgical instruments can then be passed down the endoscope and used to carry out the procedure. The surgeon will use these tools to remove obstructive tissues and other blockages to clear the sinuses.

A person who has this surgery will usually only feel mild discomfort for a short period of time.

How Balloon Sinuplasty Stops Snoring At The Source

When your sinuses are blocked and air cant flow properly, youre more likely to snore at night. Balloon sinuplasty for snoring targets your blocked sinuses to provide quick, painless, and long-lasting relief from snoring.

Can balloon sinuplasty help snoring? Yes! In this simple three-step procedure, Dr. Michael Kaplan, MD locates your blocked sinus area using low-radiation imaging. Once the problem area is located, Dr. Kaplan gently inflates a small balloon in the affected sinus cavity, widening the passageway and restoring proper airflow so that you can breathe easier day or night. The process is painless, minimally invasive, and performed 100% in-office in as few as 20 minutes.

All imaging is performed in-office using state-of-the-art CT scanners that use 82% less radiation than average.

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What Is A Deviated Septum

The septum is the wall of bone and cartilage that divides the nasal cavity in half, creating two nostrils. A deviated septum is a condition in which the septum is off-center or crooked, leading to partial blockage of the nasal passages that makes breathing difficult. A deviated septum can be a congenital abnormality or may occur later in life as a result of injury to the nose. Deviated septums are extremely common and, for many, do not cause any noticeable problems. For some patients who experience unpleasant symptoms from a deviated septum, medications are an adequate remedy. But for others, surgery may be necessary to straighten a crooked septum and improve breathing.

How Do I Stop My Sinuses From Snoring

Snoring may seem like nothing more than an annoyance, but chronic snoring can lead to other more serious health conditions including an increased likelihood of developing heart disease or stroke. If you or a loved one are snoring, youll want to schedule an appointment to discuss the best way to stop snoring with your doctor.

That said, there are some snoring treatments you can try at home. If those dont work you can ask your doctor about more permanent solutions, including continuous positive airway pressure , oral appliances, or balloon sinuplasty.

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Congestion Efficacy In The Common Cold

In a trial in patients with the common cold, the reduction in congestion after 4 days of treatment with terfenadine 120 mg twice daily for 4 to 5 days was similar to that reported with placebo.34 A separate study in adults with the common cold reported that the combination of an oral antihistamine and decongestant resulted in significant relief of patient-reported nasal stuffiness on days 1 to 5 of treatment compared with placebo,61 but the effect attributable to the antihistamine could not be differentiated from that of the decongestant. In contrast, 2 other studies in patients with the common cold did not show a significant improvement in congestion with the combination of an antihistamine and a decongestant.62,63