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Somnoplasty tongue base

Posted by Peg on June 05, 2007 at 16:35:35:

I would like to thank everyone posting their experiences on this website.

Yesterday, I had somnoplasty tongue base. Here's my story:

In 1997 at the age of 45 I had braces put on by the recommendation of my then dentist. I was referred to the orthodonist he used. I had a retrognathic mandible class 2 maocclusion with large tongue. Bicuspids were removed and front teeth pushed back. During the years 1998-2000 I found myself waking up at night gasping for air. I didn't have a clue as to what it was - it would happen maybe every month. For the next six years 2000-2006 this waking up gasping for air was increasing, but also my heart would start pounding and beating really hard and kind of off beat. I mentioned this to my then doctor and she said "it's probably night time anxiety". To make it short - the ortho should have never removed the bicuspids to push my upper teeth back which further crowded my large tongue in with nowhere to go but back into the throat.

The awakenings were increasing and one day in 2001 I developed SVT. I was rushed to the emergency. The doctor presumed it was a "lone" event. Time went by with these awakenings and because the doctor said they were probably "anxiety" attacks in my sleep - I just chalked it up to stress. In early 2006 another attack of SVT then a month later Atrial Fibrillation.

I started to get scared after these two events and began researching "gasping for air at night" and "heart pounding" during sleep.

Time and time again I came up with sleep apnea. I talked to various doctors (primary, ent, orthodontic) and not one with the symptoms I mentioned told me it could be sleep apnea.

After I changed my primary care doctor in SF, I search for another doctor nearer to where i live. I told her about my symptoms and that I think I may have sleep apnea. She referred me to a sleep specialist. I had the sleep test done and sure enough I have UARS/mild sleep apnea. I was put on a self adjusting air flow CPAP. This machine literally saved my life - it stopped the tychardias. But, I would pull it off during my sleep and I woke up with another SVT attack May 2007.

So, after researching various procedures, and because I have a large tongue, I thought somnoplasty of the tongue base would be the best for me.
I asked the sleep doctor for a referral to a specialist in somnoplasty in the SF Bay Area. Initially, I went to see this specialist in 2006 for his recommendation. He said he thought somnoplasty would help me as I only have mild sleep apnea. So I told him I would think about it and I did - for the next six months - and I put it off because of the fear of doing this procedure. But after the last SVT episode, it was the final push to get me to do the somnoplasty.

So as I sit here, one day after somnoplasty - here's my experience:

I took antibiotics and prednisone the morning of procedure yesterday. I went in and they had me sit in a dentist like chair with the big somnoplasty machine next to me. Doctor comes in and swabs my tongue base with anethesia (just like the dentist). After a minute or two he injects novacaine (just like the dentist) into the tongue base - about six shots. This was the worst of it as you spit a little blood along with your saliva into the little tray. This is where my paranoia comes in I thought I would not be able to feel myself breath or maybe my throat would close up. It didn't!! He injects saline solution into the base of tongue gets the somnoplasty device and the prongs go into the tongue base and he zaps it four times. It's finally over!!! The only thing that feels numb is my tongue. I leave the office go home and go to bed. I eat popsicles, applesauce, sodas the first day. Today, I had breakfast, jellos, soups and I can talk better than yesterday. I am only taking tylenol along with the meds he prescribed. I do have earache like pain and chin pain, but it is subsiding. It's nap time.....

I will write again a week from now to let you know how its going.....I hope this helps even one person out there who may be contemplating this procedure.

Peg

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