Post operative comments: hyoid lift, tonsils, and sinus surgery
I have had a series of complex triggers that have affected my breathing. At one point I was advised to set my affairs in order because my respitory function was in a downward spiral and I was no longer responding to anti-biotics. This invovled a thirty year history and its important others understand the issues, the risks and potential gains.
I went to an ENT and the evaluation resulted in nothing significant by its self, but when the conditions were combined it identified significant lung dysfunction. I had chornic sinus disease. Both turnbinates were collasped. The first step was to clear the obstructed pathways in my sinuses whch involved 9 operative procedures which took almost 4 hours. There was a significant change and my quality of breathing and sleep was drastically improved, but I still had obstructed airway issues. It was confirmed that I had moderate sleep apnea (stopped breathing 14 times per hour) and sleep disturbance (waking 36 times per hour). I am one of a few that had disease in more than one set of tonsil. Part of my tonsils grew back after an initial surgery at age 5. They did not diagnose the second set of tonsils until I was in my fifties. There was reluctance to remove my tonsils because of my age and infection. This was re-evaluated and the probable gains out-weighed the potential risks when it was combined with a hyoid lift and a resection of the soft palate. After much discusion, It was determined that I was a good candiate.
The second operative procedure was a removal of three tonsils, a hyoid lift, and a resection of the soft palate to open the back of the throat. Today, I am in my second week of recovery. I can breath. I no longer have back pressure or a collaspe of the airway, it remains open. I no longer snore or stop breathing at night. The diagnosis of asthma has been overturned. My lung function has improved from 78 percent to 94 percent, and I can sleep without choking . . . wondering if I would wake in the morning. This has been a dramatic change and it is not for everyone. It was not a cosmetic intervention and it included internal and external operative procedures. It did and still hurts some, but I improve each day. I pursued many alternatives before I chose surgery. Ironically I underwent my first procedure on my birthday. It was the best birthday present I have every received. I am grateful to the health professionals that guided me through these difficult decisions. For me, it was worth it. The benefits, by far, outweigh the cost and associated risks I took to get where I am today.
Forever Grateful
The surgery is not meant for cosmetic reasons, it's to help fix the medical problem of sleep apnea. whether or not it improves a person's profile depends on the specific individual.