Question: What do you think of the pillar procedure?
Answer: The pillar procedure is not effective for treating blockage at the base of the tongue where almost all obstructive apnea occurs. If you have sleep apnea the pillar procedure alone will almost never cure it and you will still need CPAP or an appliance. I would not suggest this procedure for patients who have sleep apnea. This may be be considered for patients with simple snoring only especially if the frequency of the snoring suggests it is specifically from the soft palate. Otherwise, it would seem to be a surgery looking for a problem it can cure. It will rarely, if ever be an apnea cure and then only in the mildest cases.
Obstructive sleep apnea affects around 20 million Americans and can lead to hypertension, heart attack, stroke, depression, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, morning headaches, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
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Patient describes 5 years of sleep apnea treatment with oral appliance. He initially used the CPAP machine but found it made him uncomfortab...
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Mike describes how he was diagnosed with sleep apnea. He was less than thrilled with diagnosis and definitely did not want CPAP. He travels...
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Lake Forest Sleep Apnea Treatment: Sleep Apnea patient describes how wearing a sleep apnea appliance for the last 6-7 years has drastic...