Sleep apnoea is not just snoring. Repeated interruptions in breathing lower blood oxygen night after night and are associated with hypertension, arrhythmia and increased cardiovascular risk — besides the permanent tiredness.
When surgery is considered
CPAP remains the first-line treatment and works well for many patients. Surgery comes into discussion when the mask is not tolerated, cannot be worn consistently for years, or when an anatomical cause can be corrected.
What can be done
- Maxillomandibular advancement surgery — widening the upper airway at the level of the facial skeleton;
- Upper airway corrections, depending on where the obstruction sits;
- Full assessment before any decision — sleep study and anatomical analysis.
Who operates
Prof. Emeka Nkenke, professor at the Medical University of Vienna and a European authority in maxillofacial surgery and the surgical treatment of sleep apnoea.
General information. The indication for surgery is established individually, after investigation; no procedure guarantees a result.