Surgery for Sleep Apnea Proves Ineffective
A new study out of Australia has provided yet another warning regarding surgical procedures that might be unnecessary. This report comes from the results of surgery now being advanced to help eliminate the symptoms and occurrences of sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a condition that is most common among overweight, middle-aged men. During sleep, blockage occurs in the person’s air passage. This can result in a temporary interruption or cessation of breathing. Loud snoring often accompanies this condition which is caused by a collapse of the upper airways.
The commonly prescribed treatment for sleep apnea is to provide Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) as well as weight management and control of alcohol usage. CPAP is a mechanical means of providing a flow of air to the person to help prevent sleep apnea from occurring.
Now, however, especially in Australia, upper airway surgery is being recommended more often and tried as a solution. However, the dubious results of this surgery immediately leads to doubts if it really is helpful and if it is achieving results.
Two separate studies were recently conducted by researchers at the University of Adelaide. In the first, seven randomly selected cases showed that surgery had a general lack of impact on the symptoms of the condition. Even for those who seemed to have achieved immediate help, any positive results were seldom remaining after 12-24 months following surgery.
The second study’s results were even more damaging. Of the 48 cases studied, 62% of the persons had persistent adverse effects. These included difficulty swallowing, taste/smell problems, dry throat, and voice changes. Of the overall group, 22% went so far as to say that they regretted having agreed to the surgery.
Research leader Dr. Adam Elshaug understands that some sleep apnea sufferers may be attracted to the surgical procedure, mainly as an easy means toward a solution. CPAP therapy combined with weight loss may involve some inconvenience and a change of lifestyle that some may find difficult to implement.
Researchers suggested that more controlled sleep apnea clinical trial surgery could be performed. However, patients volunteering for the trials should be fully informed that surgical results to date have been inconsistent, that there will be associated pain, that there are potential side effects and that there is a definite possibility of a relapse.