The Center for Sleep Disorder Surgery
Joseph M. Scianna,
MD, Director
The Center for Sleep Disorder Surgery of Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois, is committed to offering complete evaluation, education and treatment of sleep disorders and sleep disordered breathing with an emphasis on providing the newest technologies and services in the safest manner.
The Center for Sleep Disorder Surgery
Sleep disorders and sleep disordered breathing represent a common disorder
found in the American population. From problems with snoring to obstructive
sleep apnea, the Center for Sleep Disorder Surgery is designed to provide
expert analysis and evaluation of the contributing anatomic factors. All
initial evaluations at the Center for Sleep Disordered Surgery are dedicated
to providing accurate diagnoses and educating the patient of the treatment
options.
Initial evaluation of sleep disordered breathing, snoring or obstructive sleep apnea requires a complete airway evaluation. As the upper airway is composed of three major components, the nasal passage, the palate and the base of tongue, each area must be evaluated and surgical treatment can be offered appropriately. The Center for Sleep Disorder Surgery works closely with the Loyola University Sleep Center run by Dr. Nidhi Undevia to ensure that proper assessment and medical management of sleep disordered breathing is accomplished.
The faculty of the Loyola Center for Sleep Disorder Surgey includes Director, Dr. Joseph M. Scianna, MD as well as Dr. James A. Stankiewicz, professor and chairman, and Dr. K. Muzaffar, MD The combined experience and knowledge of this faculty offers a wide variety of techniques and availability. With this faculty, the Loyola Center for Sleep Disordered Surgery aims to provide the best available care, traditional and state of the art surgical treatment for sleep disordered breathing,
- OSA
- Snoring
- UPPP
- Septoplasty
- Turbinate Reduction
- Somnoplasty
- Pilar Implantation
- Snoring
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- Nasal Obstruction/Deviated Nasal Septum
- Palatal implantation
- Laser Assisted Surgery
- Somnoplasty/Turbinate reduction surgery
- Tongue base procedures
- Septoplasty
- Uvuolopalatoplasty (UPPP)
Snoring
Snoring represents a common phenomenon that can have a profound impact on
sleep hygiene. Resulting from upper airway resistance during breathing,
snoring represents the production of noise during sleep without cessation
of breathing. Surgical correction of snoring can require nasal surgery such
as septoplasty, or turbinate reduction or palatal surgery such as palatal
implantation, or laser assisted surgery. The key to successful surgical
treatment of snoring is in evaluation of the cause of the upper airway resistance
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) represents the cessation of breathing while
asleep. This disorder can have a profound impact on cognition, daily life
and the general ability to stay awake during the day. The first line treatment
of OSA remains the use of continual positive airway pressure, otherwise
known as the CPAP machine. Evaluation of OSA often requires a sleep study.
Surgical treatment for OSA includes palatal surgery such as UPPP, tongue
base procedures, or nasal surgery. The goal for any intervention with OSA
remains to improve the quality of sleep and minimize health risks associated
with OSA.
Nasal Obstruction/Deviated Nasal Septum
Difficulty with nasal breathing can often be attributed to a deviated nasal
septum or enlarged structures within the nose known as turbinates. The nasal
septum divides the nose into a right and left nasal cavity. This bony and
cartilaginous structure is often bent or curved to one side secondary to
some sort of trauma. While some nasal sprays may help improve nasal breathing,
a deviated nasal septum may require surgical repair to ultimately improve
nasal breathing. The repair of a deviated nasal septum is called a septoplasty.
Turbinates function within the nose to heat, humidify and filter the air
that one breathes. Often enlarged secondary to reactivity, these structures
can be reduced to improve nasal airflow with techniques such as somnoplasty
or turbinate reduction.
Palatal Implatation
Snoring is the result of upper airway resistance that produces sound. Often
the sound of snoring results from vibration of the palate or uvula. With
a new technique, implants can be placed within the palate to stiffen the
palate and reduce the sound of snoring. Done in the office, palatal implantation
represents one of the newest procedures available for treatment of snoring
Laser Assisted Palatal Surgery
The laser represents one of the state of the art instruments that is available
to correct not only snoring, but in some cases obstructive sleep apnea.
In an office based procedure the laser is used to trim noise producing structures
such as the uvula and/or encourage specific scarring patterns that will
result in a stiffer, less noisy palate. Laser palatal surgery has been offered
at the Loyola Center for Sleep Disordered Surgery since 1993.
Tongue Base Procedures
The tongue base is an area of the tongue that can collapse into the airway
causing obstruction. Procedures designed to reduce the tongue base include
office based somnoplasty or operative techniques. Tongue base procedures
also can involve surgery of the mandible or suspension sutures that are
used to help prevent the posterior collapse of the tongue base.
Somnoplasty/Turbinate Reduction Surgery
Nasal turbinates are structures within the nasal cavity that heat, humidify
and filter the air one breates. Somnoplasty is an office base technique
that uses heat to destroy the thick tissue of the nasal turbinates that
ultimately results in an improved nasal airway. Other techniques of nasal
turbinate reduction include out patient surgical procedures that directly
reduces the size of the nasal turbinates.
Septoplasty
Septoplasty is the repair and correction of a deviated nasal septum. Septoplasty
does not change the outward appearance of the nose. By careful manipulation
and removal of some bony or cartilaginous defects, the nasal septum can
be returned to its ideal midline position. The aim of septoplasty is to
provide for an open and normal nasal airway.
Uvulopalatoplasty
(UPPP)
Uvulopalatalplasty (UPPP) is a surgical technique designed at trimming and
re-orienting the palate in a manner that improves the diameter of the oral/palatal
airway. UPPP is a technique that has been around since 1983 and is primarily
used in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). UPPP is generally
done as an inpatient procedure with an overnight hospital stay.
