In Tallinn’s 4 Kliinik (4 Clinic) we have a surgery unit, where we perform surgeries in local and general anesthesia. In the surgery unit we perform ear, nose and throat surgeries (adenoid, tonsils etc.), face and jaw surgery, hand surgery, head and neck surgery and also surgery for sleep apnea.
Surgical treatment of sleep apnea is based on determining and treating the obstruction that is causing the breathing disorder. Sleep apnea treatment requires co-operation of different specialist’s – keeping that in mind we have created a unique workgroup in our clinic.
DISE –Drug-induced Sleep Endoscopy
If patient’s clinical observation and x-ray do not provided sufficient information drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) might be necessary. During DISE patient will be lightly sedated and the physician will use a narrow endoscope to observe the airway and to define the location of the breathing obstruction. Sleep apnea is a complex problem and might require different surgeries.
Plastic surgery of the soft palate and pharynx
Procedure is carried out under general anesthesia. During the procedure tonsils will be removed and the excessive tissue components of the soft palate will be reduced trying, surgeon will try to maintain the soft palate functions as much as possible.
Tongue base reduction and hyoid advancement
If breathing obstruction is caused by tongues backward fall during sleep, it might be necessary to reduce the amount of tissue in tongue base. One method is through the application of radiofrequency waves using plasma COBLATION RFQ. Another method is the hyoid bone surgical repositioning and fixation.
Correcting the position of jaw bones
Congenital developmental anomalies of jaw bones may result in diminished airway dimension and therefore cause sleep related breathing disorders. Effective treatment is to correct the position of either one or both jaw bones.