Say Goodbye to Those Terrifying Nights When You Can't Breathe: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSAS) Surgery
Suddenly stopping your breathing during sleep doesn't just disrupt your sleep; it insidiously drains your heart, brain, and all your life energy. Sleep apnea (OSAS) doesn't have to be your fate, or a lifelong confinement to tubes. We permanently open the blockages in your airways with pinpoint surgical techniques, freeing you from that suffocating feeling and giving you healthy, safe, and uninterrupted sleep.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSAS) and Why is it Life-Threatening?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a condition in which the airway closes due to excessive relaxation of the throat muscles during sleep, causing breathing to stop completely for more than 10 seconds (sometimes even minutes). The patient wakes up startled by a loud noise and a feeling of suffocation due to lack of oxygen to the brain. This situation repeats dozens, sometimes hundreds, of times throughout the night. The result is an exhausted body in the morning, constant drowsiness during the day, and if left untreated, life-threatening risks such as high blood pressure, heart rhythm disorders, heart attack, and stroke. Our main goal in surgery is to identify these physical obstructions at the level of the nose, palate, tonsils, or base of the tongue and to keep that airway permanently open with personalized operations (UPPP, base of tongue reduction, etc.).
- Those whose breathing stops during sleep (apnea) is observed by their spouse or close relatives.
- Those who wake up suddenly startled during the night with a feeling of suffocation, thrashing, or sweating.
- Those who wake up in the mornings feeling "beaten up" and with a headache, despite sleeping 8-10 hours.
- People who involuntarily doze off during the day while in traffic, in meetings, or in front of the television.
- Patients diagnosed with mild, moderate, or severe OSAS based on sleep test (polysomnography) results.
Sleep apnea is solved not with a standard surgery, but with a tailor-made approach.
The biggest reason for failure in sleep apnea surgery is performing the same classic palate surgery on every patient without question. However, the location of the airway obstruction is as unique to each individual as a fingerprint. At Dr. Nurten Küçük, I never proceed with assumptions in OSAS treatment. Through prior sleep tests and sleep endoscopy (DISE), I map the exact level of the obstruction (is it the nose, a sagging palate, or an excessively large tongue base) with millimeter precision. I tailor my treatment plan like a 'tailor,' completely to the patient's anatomy. By intervening only in the responsible tissues, I both eliminate this disease that threatens your heart health and allow you to wake up confidently to those energetic mornings you've been longing for.
Pinpoint Diagnosis
Sleep laboratory testing (polysomnography) is the gold standard before deciding on surgery. No surgical procedure is initiated without definitively determining the degree (AHI score) and location of the obstruction.
Multilevel Surgery
If the obstruction is at multiple points (for example, both nasal bone deviation and palate prolapse), all obstructions are removed holistically under the same anesthesia (in a single session).
Life-Saving Recovery
Patients usually stay in the hospital for one night after surgery. Once the throat area has healed completely (approximately 2-3 weeks), those silent oxygen deprivation crises that strain your heart will end, and your energy levels will reach their peak.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does sleep apnea surgery carry a life-threatening risk?
Every surgery carries risks associated with general anesthesia, but in the case of OSAS, the biggest and most life-threatening risk is actually "not having surgery." Untreated sleep apnea has a very high probability of leading to a heart attack or stroke. Surgery performed by an experienced ENT specialist in modern hospital settings is the safest investment to eliminate these life-threatening risks.
I use a CPAP (CPAP sleep device). If I have surgery, will I be able to get rid of this mask completely?
This depends on the severity of your apnea and your weight. In mild to moderate apnea, the chance of completely eliminating the device with the correct anatomical surgical technique is quite high. However, in patients with very severe apnea or who are overweight (obese), surgery at least significantly reduces the obstruction, allowing the patient to use the CPAP device comfortably at much lower pressures, without experiencing suffocation or mask leaks.
If I regain weight after surgery, will my sleep apnea return?
It can definitely reverse. The biggest trigger for sleep apnea is fat accumulation around the throat and neck. The airway we open surgically can narrow again over the years due to the increased pressure from that fat tissue if you gain excessive weight after the operation. Weight control is your most important "life partner" in guaranteeing the success and permanence of the surgery.
How long after surgery can I return to work or my social life?
If only nasal surgery was performed, 3-4 days is sufficient. However, if a more extensive UPPP surgery involving the palate, tonsils, and base of the tongue was performed, it takes approximately 7 to 10 days for swallowing sensitivity in the throat area to subside. During this period, a soft/cold diet is applied, and our patients can generally return to their normal work routines from the 10th day onwards.
Take the first step towards an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment.
For an initial consultation, examination, and personalized treatment plan, please contact us immediately.