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Permalink Reply by Dave Baker on September 4, 2009 at 12:45am

Dave....My nose always felt plugged and for years, especially when allergy season rolled around it seemed I was always sick with some type of head cold or sinus infection. At the time I had just started seeing a new doctor who commented that a lot of my sinus problems were related to a deviated septum and she recommended Septoplasty. So in the spring of 1998 I had it done and after a month of recovery, I felt like a changed man. My sinus infections are few and far between now and my wife said my snoring had all but stopped however, over time she said I began snoring more and more and for the past 2-3 years she said I stopped breathing in my sleep so much it scared her. Having moved to another state I had yet another doctor and it was she who sent me for my sleep study after I complained about being tired and sleeping all the time. Within 3-4 days of my sleep study I was introduced to the best nights of sleep I have had in years when I got my new CPAP machine!!! At first I was feeling claustrophobic and considered taking my chances without the machine but now, after 4 months of use (w/nasal pillows) I have to say I love my CPAP machine and I wouldn't consider sleeping without it.

You should discuss your options more with your doctor or get a referral to an ENT and decide what is best for you....in my case the Septoplasty worked in that the sinus infections are not as frequent and stopping snoring was a lucky side affect I didn't expect at the time ...but in my case I didn't get it done to stop snoring and I knew nothing about sleep apnea.

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Permalink Reply by Lisa Marie Cardillo on September 4, 2009 at 12:49pm

j n k said:

That is a simple question but a complicated one to answer, as I understand it. I am not a medical professional of any sort, by the way. Just a fellow patient.

It may depend on HOW deviated, and on what you are trying to accomplish. My personal view, and it is nothing more than that, is that if an experienced ENT thinks the surgery could significantly imporve how you breathe while AWAKE, that is a big consideration. If the only goal, however, is to improve how you breathe while ASLEEP, then the logical approach, as I see it, is to see how you do on PAP therapy FIRST. If you have difficulties with PAP, those kinds of nasal/sinus/nose surgeries can be a BIG help in making your PAP therapy a success should you find you need them.

I think there is no substitute for the opinion of an experienced ENT surgeon who is familiar with PAP therapy looking right at you to see all the variables as far as knowing how likely YOU are to experience benefits and how significant those benefits are likely to be for YOU. A pulmonologist may have some words of wisdom, too.

My sleep doc told me that I would likely see some benefit from turbinate surgery, but he felt the benefits would not be worth it, since he felt I could be completely successful with my PAP therapy WITHOUT the surgeries. I have found his judgment on that question to be right on the money. With the stress on the word "money."

Just my 2 cents, speaking of, ahem, money. :-)

jeff

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Permalink Reply by Rhonda McPherson on September 4, 2009 at 4:58pm

I had a deviated septum. I Had it done for a different reason not sleep apnea. I didn't know I had sleep apnea at that time. It has done nothing for the sleep apnea.
Rhonda

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Permalink Reply by Larry Bruck on September 8, 2009 at 10:20am

Hi there,
I had deviated septum surgery as my first attempt to deal with sleep apnea several years ago. The surgeon told my wife and I that we would never have problems with sleep apnea again once recovered from the surgery. Long story short - he lied. The surgery did nothing for me. This surgery was followed up shortly thereafter with the removal of my uvula - a very painful procedure that did nothing for sleep apnea either. CPAP works and is the only treatment that I would recommend. Good luck to you!

Larry

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Permalink Reply by Leslie Scott on September 13, 2009 at 3:26am

It took care of OSA in my daughter. Granted she was 8 at the time. I have seen improvement in both my dh and my patients when having septoplasty done. A lot of it comes down to where the blockage for the O (obstruction) actually is ;)

I can tell you that everyone that I know that has had the septoplasty done has not regretted it and the surgery itself is outpatient. My daughter and husband both had it done. My best friends husband has had it done as well. I need it done, but have other reasons as to why I have not had it done.

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Permalink Reply by Dave on November 10, 2009 at 10:20am

Were there benefits other than those related to you sleep apnea? Do you regret it? How long has it been?

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Permalink Reply by 99 on November 10, 2009 at 10:20am

when i was in hospital i was given local anacetic and the doctor had a hammer and chisle up my nose i could see him chisling up my nose no pain just chisling

i do not know why i was in hospital but i do remember that

i think that was in the 60's

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Permalink Reply by 99 on November 10, 2009 at 11:44am

there is a cure it is a little round pellet usually make of lead and it has to be administered in a special way using an instrument called a gun
and it is quite permenant

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Permalink Reply by Sandra Kay Goodwin on November 10, 2009 at 11:49am

OH, I understand now.

99 said:

when i was in hospital i was given local anacetic and the doctor had a hammer and chisle up my nose i could see him chisling up my nose no pain just chisling

i do not know why i was in hospital but i do remember that

i think that was in the 60's

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Permalink Reply by Steven Y. Park, MD on November 10, 2009 at 3:29pm

A study looked at this issue: Sleep apnea patients with nasal congestion underwent septoplasty and other nasal procedures to treat nasal congestion. Obstructive sleep apnea was "cured" in approximately 10% of patients. Quality of life definitely improves since you can breathe better through your nose, but don't count on it curing you. However, it does allow you to benefit better from the other treatment options such as CPAP or oral appliances. You need open nasal passageways for these devices to work properly. Breathing through your nose also allows nitric oxide from your nose to go into your lungs, which increases oxygen absorption by 10-20%.

A septoplasty is a simple ambulatory procedure where you go home a few hours afterwards. You can go back to work the next day or definitely after 2 days. I don't usually use nasal packing, so you're breathing right away, with nothing to uncomfortable to take out. You'll need to have some crusts and mucous cleaned out, though.

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Permalink Reply by PD Laire on November 12, 2009 at 5:39pm

very informative post. thanks, Dr. Park.

Steven Y. Park, MD said:

A study looked at this issue: Sleep apnea patients with nasal congestion underwent septoplasty and other nasal procedures to treat nasal congestion. Obstructive sleep apnea was "cured" in approximately 10% of patients. Quality of life definitely improves since you can breathe better through your nose, but don't count on it curing you. However, it does allow you to benefit better from the other treatment options such as CPAP or oral appliances. You need open nasal passageways for these devices to work properly. Breathing through your nose also allows nitric oxide from your nose to go into your lungs, which increases oxygen absorption by 10-20%.

A septoplasty is a simple ambulatory procedure where you go home a few hours afterwards. You can go back to work the next day or definitely after 2 days. I don't usually use nasal packing, so you're breathing right away, with nothing to uncomfortable to take out. You'll need to have some crusts and mucous cleaned out, though.

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Permalink Reply by Al on December 21, 2009 at 10:55am

I had the Deviated Septum surgery about a week ago. After about 24 hours of discomfort following the surgery, recovery was fairly quick and I was back to work in a couple days with no pain and no packing. I had gone to this ENT to discuss the Pilla procedure for my sleep apnea, but in the process he noticed the deviated septum, polyps and a closed up sinus cavity that needed to be fixed first. I’m now sleeping and breathing much better even without the CPAP machine which you cannot use for 3-4 weeks following surgery. Jury is still out on whether this has cured the sleep apnea, but even for just the better day time breathing it achieved it was worth it. As my ENT stated, “It’s all about the airflow”.

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