There are many factors that cause nasal obstruction, nasal congestion, and vasomotor rhinnitis in patients. Some of these factors include allergies, deviated septum, and adenoid hypertrophy. However, what many people may not realize is that turbinate hypertrophy is also a significant cause of these symptoms. A new webpage has been uploaded to our website regarding a procedure to address turbinate hypertrophy to alleviate nasal symptoms. This procedure known as turbinate reduction can be performed under local anesthesia using coblation in an office-setting with minimal downtime. Click here to read more about it.
Well, at least his face from 2 angles. The video appeared on 5/20/08 on the 10PM NBC local evening news in Dallas, TX. Dr. Chang was present in the OR with Dr. Thrasher while the TV crews were filming. Watch the full footage below.
This video was later nationally syndicated and shown throughout the United States including Washington DC a few weeks later.
Fauquier ENT is offering a relatively new procedure called base of tongue reduction (as well as lingual tonsillectomy) using coblation for patients suffering from severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to an enlarged base of tongue. For many patients, an enlarged base of tongue is a significant contributing factor leading to severe sleep apnea. This area contributes to obstruction by falling backwards against the back wall of the throat during sleep leading to airway closure.
Although a number of procedures have been offered to minimize this problem in the past such as:
None of these procedures directly addresses the tongue bulk/size itself. Rather, these procedures indirectly attempts to address the base of tongue by moving and anchoring the entire tongue forward. As such, these procedures only marginally improves OSA and usually only lasts for a temporary period of time.
These address obstructions only at the nasal and oral cavity level of the airway. Base of tongue is BELOW these levels and located immediately above the voicebox (where air enters the windpipe to get to your lungs). As such, many patients who have undergone these surgeries often find themselves still suffering from OSA. Furthermore, enlarged base of tongue is the main cause of OSA in skinny people.
Click here to read more about base of tongue reduction/lingual tonsillectomy offered only at Fauquier ENT of Northern Virginia.
Non-surgical methods to resolve obstructive sleep apnea due to large base of tongue:
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