Back to Sleep Apnea

I don't know what it is about some doctors, but it seems a few don't like patients making their feelings known about sleep apnea. Two emails actually were threatening because I spoke out against sleep apnea surgery. Another was very upset that I had written about home remedies. Then the morning of the last blog, those doctors promoting surgery were very angry and could not believe that for someone that had never had surgery for sleep apnea would encourage people not to have surgery. I would only say that the source of my information was the Mayo Clinic and the links in my earlier blogs. Plus the American Sleep Apnea Association and other authorities recommend surgery as a last resort and not until all other attempts have failed. I was surprised that they would ask me to remove my blogs and I said that I would not retract or remove my blogs.

He responded that he would have Google remove them for me. I said they would not and if he could not stand the truth, he should quit the surgery occupation. There are too many examples of unhappy people that have had the surgery and are very vocal and putting this information on the internet. With only about 25 to 30 percent of surgery being successful, this is a very poor example of improving sleep apnea. The number one complaint is the lack of success and still having sleep apnea. The number two complaint is the pain for up to two months following the surgery, but many have it for less time. The number three complaint is almost choking when trying to swallow food after surgery.

I am not sorry to have irritated a few surgeons when other surgeons do great work in areas of need that saves patients' lives, but when surgeons are so desperate to do surgery that does not prevent sleep apnea they don't belong in medicine. Most of these greedy surgeons fail to inform patients of many details and what their odds of success are. They just say that the surgery is what they need (with their fingers crossed behind their backs).