In July of 2001 I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea, I used a Remstar CPAP, and later a REMstar Series M CPAP from 2001 to 2008. I travel a lot by Air and it is a supreme Hassle to get your CPAP through the TSA checkpoint. They always made me feel like a terrorist. You put it in your checked baggage and you risk having it damaged (been there, done that) or missing a flight connection, not having your baggage and having to sleep without it, not a very good option. Last spring my wife and I visited friends in Italy and it was then that I grew so fed up with dragging a CPAP around the world that I vowed to explore surgical options.

On Sept 17th 2008 I underwent surgery to hopefully alleviate my severe chronic obstructive sleep Apnea. I was being operated on by Dr Ryan Stevens at Samaritan Regional Health Center in Corvallis Oregon. I discussed every one of the surgical possibilities with Dr Stevens. After an endoscopy exam he concluded that my biggest problem was the excess tissue on base of my tongue. He suggested a Lingual Tonsillectomy and a UPPP. We proceeded with the surgery and I remained in the hospital for 2 days then was released for a 2 week recovery period. Probably the roughest part was that the Dr placed a loop of suture on the underside of my tongue in case I began to choke while in the hospital recovering. The suture caused me to salivate like Niagra Falls and saliva leaked out of my mouth when I tried to sleep it would wake me up. After they removed that the following morning things improved. My pain was managed with Roxicet (liquid Oxycontin) and by syringes of a lidocane gel. The Lidocaine made everything numb and seemed to increase the salivation so I used it sparingly. The second night at the hospital was much more comfortable and by the following morning I was doing well enough to be released. I was cleared to eat solid food upon my release of the hospital, I could eat but it was a slow process and swallowing was difficult, more from the tissue stretching than from pain.

I stayed off work for 2 weeks, the second week I was well enough to go on a 5 day trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to visit family. Probably the things I can say looking back on this are: It was worth it! The pain is no worse than a bad sore throat from Tonsilitis. The end definately justified the means.

During recovery I drank warm water with meals, anything hot, cold, alcoholic or carbonated was not tolerated. I slept with CPAP for 2 weeks post surgery. After the swelling was totally reduced I quit using it. I no longer have apnea episodes, I no longer gasp and I rarely snore, when I do snore it's about 90% less than before. The only thing I've notivced is that sometimes I'll cough if I have post nasal drip, that seems to be the only thing that wakes me from a sound sleep. I have to say I look and feel better, I awake rested, alert and there's no grogginess at all. My wife is very pleased, My coworkers say I'm easier to get along with and my boss has commented that I'm more productive. (I work for Hewlett Packard at a Research and Development Center)

I have had 2 post op checkups and Dr Stevens is elated with the results. I had an appt with the sleep Doctor (Dr Mark Reploeg) and he's signed me up for an another sleep study, They are going to do an overnight Oxygen saturation study at home to ensure that I'm not having apnea episodes. Personally I don't think another sleep study is needed but that's for the Docs to decide. I turned 54 on Jan 20th and this surgery made me feel 15 years younger. I highly recommend considering it.

Feel Free to contact me with Questions. Dr Stevens has performed this dual procedure several times in 2008 and his patients have had great success with getting off of CPAP.

Randy Bray,
Corvallis Oregon