Velopharyngeal Insufficiency (VPI) After UPPP or Uvula Excision Surgery

Image 1 : Normal open position One of the main risks of uvula excision and UPPP (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) surgery to treat snoring and obstructive sleep apnea is velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). This complication is when the soft palate is not able to adequately lift and close off the back of the nose from the throat.  When the VPI is large, food and liquids can come out the nose during swallow and there may be a hyper-nasal speech quality. When the VPI is very small, a patient ma…

6/10/2016 0

Continue Reading

What Does the Uvula Do?

Given how frequently doctors look in peoples' mouths, physicians probably get asked this question a dozen times a day by curious patients.  This question of uvular function also extended into ancient times with a variety of theories proposed over the years... Hippocrates and Aristotle in the 4th century B.C. and Berenargio da Carpri in 1900 referred to the uvula only as a source of possible inflammation and edema capable of causing suffocation. Galen (122-199 A.D.) considered it to be…

5/31/2015 0

Continue Reading

Uvula Piercing

It happens, but thankfully rare... Ear piercing I will do, but truly uvula piercing is not something I would recommend given a whole host of problems it may cause including: • Gagging • Snoring • Airway obstruction • Uvular stretching • Uvular bisection • Accidental inhalation if it comes loose • Uvular swelling etc. etc. etc. Indeed, most people would rather get their uvula removed rather than "enhancing" it!

2/02/2013 1

Continue Reading

Sleep Endoscopy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Snoring

A new webpage has been created describing a procedure called "sleep endoscopy" or "sedated endoscopy." This procedure is performed on patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or severe snoring in order to determine where the source of their problem is anatomically located. This special exam is needed in patients where such anatomic determination is not able to be made in the clinic while they are awake. As such, an anesthesiologist would put the patient to sleep …

4/15/2011 0

Continue Reading

Miley Cyrus "I Cut My Uvula"! ...NOT!

I was recently made aware of this video Miley Cyrus made in January 2009 when she reported that she cut her uvula (according to a nurse) after swallowing a slippery piece of chicken causing her voice to sound quite hoarse. Watch the video here : However, based on how her voice sounds, I seriously doubt that her hoarseness is due to a cut uvula. When the uvula gets cut, or swollen, or gets injured one way or another, it would cause her voice to sound muffled... NOT raspy like her voice sound…

2/06/2011 1

Continue Reading

New Video on Uvula Excision for Snoring (and Other Problems)

Our office has created a new video on how a uvulectomy (or uvula excision) is performed to treat not only snoring , but chronic cough , throat-clearing , and even gagging due to an extremely long uvula . Though the procedure can be performed awake without sedation in adult patients without a severe gag reflex, for those with a bad gag reflex, it must be performed under general anesthesia as shown in this video. For more info on this procedure, click here . Check it out here !

2/05/2011 0

Continue Reading

The Doctors TV Show Does Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

The Doctors TV show at some point in the past (not sure when), did a segment on surgery used to treat obstructive sleep apnea . The surgery portrayed was UPPP (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty). Dr. Brian Weeks, the featured otolaryngologist, removed the tonsils and uvula followed by suturing the cut mucosa to reposition the soft tissues of the patient's throat. This operation is a basic surgical method addressing obstructive sleep apnea . However, prior to considering surgical treatment…

2/01/2011 0

Continue Reading

New Video on UPPP Surgery to Treat Sleep Apnea (Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty)

A new video has been created and uploaded onto our YouTube channel showing how a UPPP (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) sleep apnea surgery is performed. This surgery is commonly performed to try and improve or even cure obstructive sleep apnea  in adults. This surgery rarely is performed in kids. Read more about UPPP here . More info about obstructive sleep apnea can be found here . Another operation used to treat obstructive sleep apnea in adults along with UPPP is base of tongue reduction…

2/01/2011 0

Continue Reading

Mucus in Back of Nose/Throat After UPPP or Uvula Removal

I have recently seen a rash of patients who have a presenting symptom of a sense of mucus or phlegm buildup in the back of the mouth/nose right behind the soft palate after surgery involving uvula removal . Such surgery may include the uvula alone or UPPP (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) for obstructive sleep apnea . Often in these cases, this problem with mucus and phlegm is due to a very small velopharyngeal insufficiency . This is a rare problem where there is a small opening between the pal…

3/23/2010 0

Continue Reading

Bifid Uvula

I recently saw a patient with a most impressive bifid uvula. For those who don't know, the uvula is the midline dangling thing in the back of the mouth. Normally, there's only one, but in this patient, there are 2. If the clefting extended not only through the uvula, but also the palate, than that would be called a cleft palate. In other words, a bifid uvula is a birth defect that almost became a cleft palate. A bifid uvula has no impact on swallowing or talking and no further inte…

9/24/2009 1

Continue Reading

Normal Post-Tonsillectomy Appearance

Often, patients become disturbed with the way their throat looks after a tonsillectomy . However, many of the concerns are unfounded and the appearance though disturbing, is actually normal. The white plaques where the tonsils used to be are actually scabs. Just like a scab on a cut elbow turns white after taking a shower or swimming, the scabs in the throat/mouth turn white from the saliva. Also, the uvula is swollen (3-4X bigger than usual) which also is normal and will improve over the w…

4/28/2008 4

Continue Reading