Surgery Overview
Tracheostomy is surgery that is sometimes used to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It's used if you have severe sleep apnea, other treatments have failed, and other forms of surgery won't work for you.
In this surgery, the surgeon creates a permanent opening in the neck to the windpipe (trachea). The surgeon then puts a tube into the opening to let air in.
- A valve keeps the opening of the tube closed during the day, which allows you to speak and breathe normally.
- At night, you open the valve so that air can go around the blockage in your throat and into your lungs while you sleep.
Tracheostomy almost always cures sleep apnea that is caused by blockage of the upper airway.footnote 1
Current as of: October 27, 2024
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