MAD

I’ve spent the last few weeks actively researching surgical, orthodontic and dental treatments for obstructive sleep apnea and visiting a lot of specialists to fully explore my options. I have underdeveloped jaws and nasal obstruction causing severe sleep apnea, possibly the result of extraction/retraction orthodontic work done when I was 13.

I visited orthodontist Derek Mahony recently who referred me to an ENT surgeon to investigate Maxillomandibular Advancement (MMA) surgery and Distraction Osteogenesis Maxillary Expansion (DOME). The success rate is high but it looks nasty. Derek said I would need 12 months of braces before the surgery, and I would need to be on CPAP in the meantime; so no matter what I do I realised I need CPAP to stay alive while I’m getting a permanent treatment sorted out. I’ve been on it for about a month and I’m hoping my general health will improve while I explore my options to expand my jaws and sleep naturally again.

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