"please keep me updated about oximeters "
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a lot about maxillomandibular advancement
I was told that I was a great candidate for MMA surgery (I have a "class 2" jawline and a very suitable overjet), and have been getting prepared for that procedure and its accompanying orthodontic work. I have done some research on the subject, and have been flabbergasted at what seems like results from this operation that are almost TOO good to be true.
To wit: I have not found anything to indicate any sort of lasting pain or serious complications that arise from this surgery. That's a bit unnerving. Is it really as safe/virtually pain-free as my study seems to suggest? I'm VERY worried that I will have a hard time adapting to my new mouth/jaw/tongue architecture, that my mouth will close differently and it will be odd/painful, and that after the surgery I'll just feel weird/hurt/not myself--maybe forever.
Could the sleepguide community please speak to my concerns about such? Are there resources to which I could refer? My oral surgeon and orthodontist have been very helpful and reassuring, but I highly value the input of this group.
I'm not as bothered by some that my face will be altered. I'm not Helen of Troy. I've been told by several that I may look better post-surgery. I don't care if my appearance changes and I'm not disturbed that bone will be sawed through. All of this, plus the braces, plus the jaw-being-wired-shut, plus the all-liquid post-surgery diet, is infinitely more "palatable" (pun intended) to me than any CPAP mask that will ever be created. I'm actually a bit surprised that more people don't feel that way.
I've had a tracheostomy suggested to me. That sounds worse, more antiquated; and even if it is reversible, won't there always be a huge scar on your neck? And an actual gaping hole for all to see? I read that Steven Hawking lost his voice from a similar procedure.
I understand that many are optimistic that a more tolerable treatment than CPAP is just a few years away. I am not. I don't think MMA is a quick fix, but I've been terribly attracted to it ever since it was proposed. What I've worried about is permanent pain, permanent scarring, permanent disfigurement. Those would not be good. Everything else I could make my peace with if it was part of the package deal of being able to sleep properly.
I've been told that a conservative figure for this operation's success, at least in my case, is 80%. That's much better than a UPPP. I've been told that at 62 apnea per hour, I am too severe for a dental appliance. I do plan to once again try and find that magic CPAP mask that will work for me in the months my teeth are being addressed. But MMA seems like the best long-term option. A lot of people recoil when I explain to them what the procedure entails. I wish they wouldn't do that.
To wit: I have not found anything to indicate any sort of lasting pain or serious complications that arise from this surgery. That's a bit unnerving. Is it really as safe/virtually pain-free as my study seems to suggest? I'm VERY worried that I will have a hard time adapting to my new mouth/jaw/tongue architecture, that my mouth will close differently and it will be odd/painful, and that after the surgery I'll just feel weird/hurt/not myself--maybe forever.
Could the sleepguide community please speak to my concerns about such? Are there resources to which I could refer? My oral surgeon and orthodontist have been very helpful and reassuring, but I highly value the input of this group.
I'm not as bothered by some that my face will be altered. I'm not Helen of Troy. I've been told by several that I may look better post-surgery. I don't care if my appearance changes and I'm not disturbed that bone will be sawed through. All of this, plus the braces, plus the jaw-being-wired-shut, plus the all-liquid post-surgery diet, is infinitely more "palatable" (pun intended) to me than any CPAP mask that will ever be created. I'm actually a bit surprised that more people don't feel that way.
I've had a tracheostomy suggested to me. That sounds worse, more antiquated; and even if it is reversible, won't there always be a huge scar on your neck? And an actual gaping hole for all to see? I read that Steven Hawking lost his voice from a similar procedure.
I understand that many are optimistic that a more tolerable treatment than CPAP is just a few years away. I am not. I don't think MMA is a quick fix, but I've been terribly attracted to it ever since it was proposed. What I've worried about is permanent pain, permanent scarring, permanent disfigurement. Those would not be good. Everything else I could make my peace with if it was part of the package deal of being able to sleep properly.
I've been told that a conservative figure for this operation's success, at least in my case, is 80%. That's much better than a UPPP. I've been told that at 62 apnea per hour, I am too severe for a dental appliance. I do plan to once again try and find that magic CPAP mask that will work for me in the months my teeth are being addressed. But MMA seems like the best long-term option. A lot of people recoil when I explain to them what the procedure entails. I wish they wouldn't do that.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sue on
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I am replying to the oral appliance for OSA. I used it for about 3 years and I absolutely loved it... no problem at all --- until I went to the heart doctor for a check up. My heart doctor want to do a sleep study using the oral appliance to see how much good it was actually doing. I was sleeping very well but that was not all the doctor was concerned about. Study showed my oxygen saturation was so dangerously low that I needed to do something else immediately. that was when I started my research. It kept coming back to the MMA if I wanted to make sure I only had to go through 1 surgery. It's been 6 months and it has not been easy. The braces are still on and that is still a lot of the pain. email me anytime anyone would like to ask a question. I did''t do a blog .. I wish I had the energy but I didn't . I returned to work after 5 weeks.
Marcus Whitmore said:Ross,
Have you been fitted for, and tried to wear a dental appliance?
Do not, I repeat do not consider surgery until you have tried a dental appliance, MAD (mandibular advancement device). The same thing happens anatomically while you are wearing the mouth appliance as mandibular advancement, only when you take the appliance out, the jaw and tongue return to your
natural position.
In fact, a surgeon should not even attempt such advancement surgery before trying an appliance, to see if advancing the jaw and associated structures helps with the OSA. Consider that, please.
My own preference in dental appliances is the Somnodent. Check out these links http://www.planodental.com/14/stop-snoring
and
http://www.somnomed.com/For_Patients/What_causes_OSA_.aspx
for further explanation.
Please respond to me privately as well with questions.
Marcus Whitmore, DDS
Dallas, TX
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Permalink Reply by 99 on
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i have been taking kelp tablets and my lower jaw has advanced naturally
It is used by the thyroid gland to produce the hormone thyroxin that helps regulate the speed at which our body burns fats and sugars, as well as helping to control cholesterol levels. It is also required to maintain healthy skin and hair. Because iodine cannot be stored by the body it must be obtained regularly via the diet.
An oceanic plant, Kelp contains concentrated sources of minerals and nutrients including Iodine, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and Iron.
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I was diagnosed with severe OSA about 15 years ago. I was immediately set up with a CPAP machine which was intolerable. I tried every kind of mask available and they were all horrible. Then I got a biPAP machine that was even worse. Both machines made me feel like I was drowning. I had radio frequency treatments done three times on separate areas of my mouth including the back of the tongue. Over the last few years I tried two different oral appliances. The first was made by my dentist and didn't really work at all for my apnea although it did reduce the noise of my sleep. The second appliance was a Somnodent that took a while to get used to and was somewhat effective, but even with it I still had severe apnea. I was finally referred to a sleep specialist who referred me to a surgery team. They felt I was a good candidate for MMA surgery and advised me of the possible side effects.
I had the surgery done on 11/2/2010 and was eager to do so. I had retired early from a profession I loved because I couldn't give it the attention it deserved. I would fall asleep on the job, while driving, at social events, concerts, and films. My life was being ruined by sleep apnea.
The surgery is no picnic and the recovery period isn't a delight either. But at 10 weeks post surgery I feel pretty good. I spent three nights in the hospital. I was fairly uncomfortable because of the arch bars and jaws being wired shut. My stomach ached a lot because for the two weeks my jaws were wired shut I could only eat liquids forced around my back molars with a syringe. I never felt full. The soft diet still continues because the docs don't want me to put stress on the healing bones. I feel satisfied now although I won't be able to return to a regular diet for a few more weeks. I lost about twenty pounds the first month and have gained about five back. My current weight is good and I hope to maintain it.
The surgery has given me a better jawline and stronger chin than before. I like the improvement and the advancement stretched out a some loose skin. I think I look a little younger. My surgery included straightening out my crooked nose too. Still have numbness in the middle of my face, but I'm sleeping well and I have the energy I had at 25!
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