Surgical Solutions for Sleep Apnea

Baptist Health Paducah: Surgical Solutions for Sleep Apnea

Specialist SHAWN JONES, MD, discusses the symptoms and treatment of sleep apnea, describing how robotic surgery can help patients get a good night’s rest again.

Surgical Solutions for Sleep Apnea Health Talks Transcript

Shawn C. Jones, MD, Otolaryngology
Sleep apnea is a disordered breathing that occurs when you’re sleeping, and it’s characterized primarily by snoring. If someone notices you have gasps or choking episodes at night, then you may be at risk for sleep apnea and probably need to be tested.

Jason Goodyke
Every day was a bit of a struggle. I was tired constantly throughout the day, sometimes having to take naps to try to catch up on sleep.

Dr. Jones
It’s really important to treat your sleep apnea because the risk of cardiovascular-associated mortality is about three times the normal. The gold standard for treatment has been the continuous positive airway pressure mask, with which a lot of people are familiar.

Jason Goodyke
The first recommendation was the try the mask. I tried that for three to six months. I struggled with it. It was constantly coming off at night, so Dr. Jones suggested the apnea surgery. He removed my tonsils, removed my uvula and shaved my tongue.

Dr. Jones
The results with the da Vinci® robotic surgery system, the transoral approach, have been
really nothing short of fantastic.

Jason Goodyke
It was pretty cool to know it was going to be done by the da Vinci® robot, just knowing that it had that added level of precision. It was very comforting for what they were doing with my throat. As a result of the surgery, I’m sleeping much more soundly, and so is my family.