What is obstructive sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea causes brief and repeated sleep interruption. There are many different types, but those most common form is obstructive sleep apnea, which occurs when your throat muscles intermittently relax and block your airway during sleep.
Why might I need obstructive sleep apnea surgery?
Untreated OSA can contribute to high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, workplace or motor vehicle accidents, and significant loss of productivity. Below are some reasons to contact a medical professional:
- Difficulty wearing a tight mask throughout the night and/or dealing with the high pressure of air blown into nose
- Snoring loud enough to disturb your sleep or that of others
- Waking up gasping or choking
- Intermittent pauses in your breathing during sleep
- Excessive daytime drowsiness, which may cause you to fall asleep while you're working, watching television or even driving a vehicle
What should I expect at my first appointment?
Your first consultation visit with the doctor will be to evaluate you for treatment. The doctor will use this time to understand your needs, review treatment options and suggest a treatment plan based on your unique situation.
Please let us know in advance if you have recent (within six months) panoramic X-rays. The standard full-mouth X-rays are not sufficient for a complete evaluation. Please send electronic files of your panoramic X-rays to OMFSxrays@ucsf.edu. If you bring a copy on a disk or jump drive, and our system is not compatible with that digital format, we may not be able to view them. In that case, we will need to take panoramic X-rays on the day of your evaluation. You will be responsible for the cost of those X-rays.
What should I bring to my first appointment?
- Government issued identification
- Health insurance information including authorizations or referrals
- Registration forms
- List of prescription medications and dosages
- List of medications that you're allergic to
- List of questions you may have
- Recent test results related to your condition
- Paper and pencil to take notes