Freedom from C-PAP Therapy for Sleep Apnea Patients

     A 50-year-old patient, 185 cm tall and weighing 95 kg, with a recent sleep study showing more than 60 episodes of apnea per hour (AHI: 65), had already purchased a CPAP device following his pulmonologist's recommendation but was unable to tolerate wearing it. He therefore presented to the clinic for an examination.

     Following a specialized examination using an Olympus flexible video endoscope, the patient was diagnosed with a deviated nasal septum, hypertrophic nasal turbinates, and an enlarged, elongated and flattened uvula.
It was decided to correct the nasal septal abnormalities, perform bilateral inferior nasal turbinate cauterization using Radiofrequency, and remove part of the uvula using surgical ultrasound and Radiofrequency, all in a single procedure at the Athens ENT Clinic.

     His recovery and postoperative course were uneventful. At the same time, the patient was advised to lose weight. Approximately 40 days after the procedure, the patient underwent a new sleep study, which showed a remarkable reduction in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) to fewer than 10 episodes per hour (AHI: 8.8). His oxygen saturation and heart rate were also measured and found to be at very satisfactory levels.