CPAP therapy
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the most common and effective treatment for Sleep Apnoea. CPAP treats Sleep Apnoea by providing a gentle flow of positive pressure air through a mask to 'splint' the airways open during sleep.
When CPAP is applied, air is pumped in through a mask into the upper airway. The air prevents the muscles in the upper airway from collapsing during sleep, as is the case in Sleep Apnoea and snoring. The respiratory specialist reviewing your patient’s initial diagnostic study will recommend whether a trial of CPAP therapy is warranted. If so, your patient will be re-booked to attend SleepSA on a second night, where a trial of CPAP therapy will be performed and the pressure required to control their OSA will be determined.
Surgical
Several surgical procedures are used to increase the size of the airway, though no surgery is completely successful or without risks. Some of the more common procedures include removal of adenoids and tonsils if enlarged, nasal polyps or other growths, or other tissue in the airway, and correction of structural deformities. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is a procedure used to remove excess tissue at the back of the throat (tonsils, uvula, and part of the soft palate). The success of this technique currently ranges from 30% to 60% success rate. The long-term side effects and benefits are not known, and it is difficult to predict which patients will do well with this procedure.
If your patient is to undergo upper airways surgery, we advise that your patients undergo a comprehensive Sleep Study with Sleep SA who can help to diagnose OSA.
