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Expert Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment in San Mateo

Transformative Sleep Apnea Treatment

Are you constantly waking up feeling exhausted, no matter how many hours you spend in bed? Patients struggling with severe sleep fragmentation often search for “insomnia doctors near me,” completely unaware that their chronic fatigue and low energy are actually caused by an underlying physical obstruction in their airway. Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when the soft tissues in the back of your throat collapse during sleep, temporarily cutting off your ability to breathe. If left untreated, this chronic lack of oxygen can lead to severe long-term health complications, including high blood pressure, heart disease, neurocognitive degeneration, and an elevated risk of stroke.

At Peninsula Oral and Facial Surgery, we provide life-changing solutions for patients suffering from this exhausting condition. If you are frustrated by ineffective remedies, our practice offers a permanent, surgical approach to restoring your airway. Dr. Adam Fagin is a highly trained oral surgeon San Mateo, CA patients trust for complex maxillofacial procedures. Having completed an additional fellowship specifically focused on jaw surgery and airway expansion, he brings unmatched expertise to your care as a dedicated sleep apnea specialist.

You do not have to spend the rest of your life tethered to a loud, uncomfortable machine just to get a good night's rest. Take the first step toward reclaiming your energy, your health, and your quality of life. Contact us today to request an appointment and explore your surgical treatment options.

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Sleep Apnea Treatment

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea? How & Why It Happens

Obstructive sleep apnea is a dangerous medical condition characterized by a temporary inability to breathe while you sleep. This happens when the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much, causing the airway to collapse and block normal airflow. When your brain senses a dangerous drop in oxygen levels, it triggers a brief arousal, forcing you to wake up just enough to restore normal breathing.

This distressing cycle of airway collapse and sudden waking can occur hundreds of times each night. Because your body is constantly fighting for air, you are pulled out of deep, restorative sleep cycles. As a result, you wake up feeling drained and experience excessive daytime sleepiness. Effective obstructive sleep apnea treatment focuses on permanently expanding this anatomical bottleneck, ensuring that oxygen flows freely and continuously throughout the night.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is at risk for sleep apnea?

It is estimated that nearly a quarter of all adults suffer from some form of sleep apnea, yet many go their entire lives without realizing it. Known risk factors include:

  • Male gender
  • Increased age
  • Elevated body weight
  • Having an anatomically small upper or lower jaw

While loud snoring is a very common symptom, simply snoring does not guarantee you have the condition.

How do I get a sleep apnea diagnosis?

To confirm the presence and severity of the disorder, a professional sleep apnea diagnosis is strictly required. This involves an in-depth sleep study, performed either at home or in a dedicated sleep center, which carefully analyzes your breathing patterns and oxygen levels. The severity of your condition is measured by the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI). Because we cannot treat the condition without knowing its exact severity, our practice offers an at-home sleep study, which you can take with you, or we can offer a referral to a local sleep lab for an in-lab sleep study.

Why choose oral surgery for sleep apnea over CPAP?

Currently, the most commonly prescribed sleep apnea treatment is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure. CPAP therapy for sleep apnea uses a bedside machine connected to a facial mask that continuously forces air through your nose and down your throat, essentially acting as a pneumatic stent to keep your airway open.

While CPAP is highly effective when used properly, adherence to the treatment is notoriously low. Many patients find the physical mask to be cumbersome, claustrophobic, or highly uncomfortable, making it difficult to fall asleep in the first place. No matter how effective a treatment might be on paper, it cannot protect your health if you refuse to wear it. Maxillomandibular advancement surgery for sleep apnea offers a powerful alternative. Instead of relying on a machine every single night, surgery permanently alters your anatomy to naturally open the airway, which has the potential to free many patients from their CPAP machines entirely.

What does sleep apnea surgery involve?

The most successful and scientifically proven sleep apnea surgery is a procedure known as Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA). During this one-time surgical treatment, your surgeon carefully advances both your upper and lower jaws forward. This precise movement permanently increases the airway space behind your jaw and tongue, pulling the soft tissues taut and physically preventing them from collapsing while you sleep.

MMA has an exceptional track record of long-term success. Clinical studies show(opens in a new tab) that patients undergoing this procedure experience an 86% chance of reducing their sleep apnea severity by more than half. Furthermore, 43% of patients with severe sleep apnea achieve a complete, permanent cure. By expanding the physical dimensions of your airway, this single procedure provides lifelong benefits that drastically reduce your risk of cardiovascular complications.

How do I schedule a consultation with a sleep apnea doctor?

If you are tired of struggling with your CPAP or living with chronic fatigue, we make it simple to explore your advanced treatment options. Finding an expert sleep apnea doctor is the most critical step in your journey to better health. We offer convenient online scheduling through our patient portal, allowing you to begin the registration process securely from home.

You can also call our San Mateo office directly to speak with our compassionate staff. We will be happy to answer your initial questions, help you navigate your medical insurance coverage, and find an appointment time that works seamlessly with your schedule. We look forward to seeing you and helping you breathe easier for the rest of your life.

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Peninsula Oral and Facial Surgery: Expertise & Compassion You Can Trust

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