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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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