This makes a bit more sense, now... (more medical stuff)

[johnpalmer]

So, I saw an ENT. Thankfully, with all my medical tests, they have a head MRI, and he could see, and visually verify, a severely deviated septum - my left side is pretty heavily blocked.

Now, if you lie on one side, blood tends to pool on that side - so it gets a bit more congested. So if I lie on my right side, my right nostril is partially stuffy, *and* my left is tight due to the deviated septum. Breathing is hard - do-able, but with a significant effort.

This explains why one of the notable changes since getting the CPAP is that my left shoulder hurts *a lot* less.(I was sleeping on it pretty constantly. I would go to sleep in that position, and wake up in that position. I knew people moved when asleep - but I was wondering if I was a partial exception. Instead, it looks like I just keep returning to that position, but have to keep leaving it due to the shoulder pain.)

This also explains why I'm waking up with a rabid blowdryer attached to my face - my nose is clogged enough that the pressure of the CPAP won't help (or won't help enough). Without my being so deviant, it probably wouldn't be as annoying. (Seriously: the doctor says it looks like a u-turn, but I prefer to think of it as a switchback.)

A quick search about deviated septum repair surgery suggests that it's routine surgery with a pretty good shot at success - 80% is the number I've seen quoted.

Does anyone know if there's another "sleep apnea" surgery that's riskier, or less likely to work? See, my memory is screaming there's *something* about "surgery" and "sleep apnea" that go together, and there's something about "but it usually doesn't work". And I'm wondering where my brain is pulling that from.

In the meantime - I've found some things similar to Breathe Right strips that might help with my airway at night. I'm going to try them and see. Before I let people start looking at my nose with knives in their hands, I want to see if I can prove it's likely to help.

Updated:

A spot of research, and some helpful LJ/DW comments, shows that a pure "deviated septum" surgery is relatively low risk, with a pretty good prognosis. After that, there's a variety of other surgeries, but they're all a bit more of a gamble.

Comments

[edschweppe]

I think you're thinking of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty - removing (presumably excess) throat tissue to try and widen the airway.

My sleep doc mentioned it as a possible fallback, but said that it was both higher risk and lower probability of success than using a CPAP. It wouldn't surprise me at all if your sleep doc hadn't said much the same thing.

[johnpalmer]

Yes, I think you're right - but there's apparently more than that, as well. They try to shrink tongues in interesting ways, in some cases - web searching the possibilities is kind of... interesting?

For "just" a deviated septum, it seems like the issue is a lot more cut and dried.

(Damn it, I shouldn't have said "cut and dried" - it's making my nose itch!)

[dubhain]

Yes, the most common surgery for SA is the UPP. There's also radiofrequency palatoplasty, where they stick a needle into the soft palate and uvula, to 'stiffen' them (i.e. coagulate the tissue) and shrink them. Apparently they're also doing that with the tongue, as well, which is what I think you're describing above.

None of these concern a deviated septum in the slightest.

I know someone who's had the UPP. Most of them don't work, and in her case not only did it make the apnea itself worse, but she now has difficulties with occasionally aspirating food, when she eats.

[johnpalmer]

Nod. The idea I got from the web was that they're a roll of the dice, and best reserved for the worst, most intractable, cases.

[desert_dragon]

I'm glad you are getting answers. Just hope solutions are just around the corner! Good luck!

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

I have a vague recollection of surgery on the uvula to treat sleep apnea, but I'm not positive about that.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

That is one of the possibilities I've seen. Also on the soft palate and the tongue.

[wolfette]

there's a surgery that is sometimes done on the palate/back of the throat to try stop it 'falling closed' when you sleep. I think it's a laser surgery.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Nod. There are several. Some are worrisome reading.

[mashblock.livejournal.com]

www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=laser+resection+of+nasal+papilloma