Should I have surgery to treat obstructive sleep apnea?
If you do not treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), it can cause several problems. If you have sleep apnea, you may be at risk for excessive daytime sleepiness and complications such as high blood pressure, high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), depression, irregular heart rhythms, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and stroke. Consider the following when making your decision: • You should try continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) before trying any type of surgery. Most experts do not suggest surgery for sleep apnea unless you have tried CPAP first. • You may consider surgery as initial treatment if a blockage is clearly reversible, such as from having overly large tonsils, or if you are at high risk for developing complications from sleep apnea. • You might still need CPAP after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) surgery. There is no good evidence on how well this surgery works for sleep apnea.1 Limited research shows that about 40% to 60% of people
