Emma is joined by Professor Vik Veer, a leading ENT surgeon based in the UK, who serves as Head of Sleep Surgery at the Royal National Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital in central London. He also practices at Queen’s Hospital, Romford. Vik has a popular YouTube channel where he discusses sleep apnea/apnoea along with other ENT topics.
In this episode:
* Prof. Veer discusses how he began his YouTube channel during the pandemic.
* When people with sleep apnea should see an ear, nose, and throat surgeon.
* The drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) procedure and why Vik finds it so helpful to find exactly how and why a patient's airway is collapsing or becoming blocked.
* The challenge of finding a skilled ENT who specializes in sleep surgery.
* Hypoglossal nerve stimulator implants and the differences between Inspire and Genio implant options. The new, smaller hypoglossal nerve stimulator implants being developed by Restera.
* Vik discusses why he wanted to invent his new "Side Sleeping Pro" pillow - for people with positional obstructive sleep apnea.
* The importance of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team with a range of specialists to work out the best treatment option/s for specific patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
* The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and issues arising from putting too much emphasis on using one number to assess the severity of OSA.
* Moving away from a one-size-fits-all treatment option and towards choosing the right treatment or combination of treatments for each individual patient.
Connect with Vik Veer:
https://www.consultant-surgeon.co.uk/
Free Sleep Questionnaires
https://form.jotform.com/vikveer/sleep-questionnaires
Newsletter
https://cheerful-knitter-8774.kit.com/35648c37b6
Tonsillectomy book
https://cheerful-knitter-8774.kit.com/f629b09fa4
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/VikVeerENTSurgeon
Side Sleeping Pro
https://www.iwantgreatsleep.com/
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Download Project Sleep's PDF toolkit on Sleep Apnea Treatment Options: https://project-sleep.com/sleep-apnea-treatment-options/
Join Project Sleep's Sleep Apnea Squad by signing up for e-updates here:
https://project-sleep.com/sleep-apnea-squad/
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Connect with Emma:
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sleepapneastories
Email Emma at sleepapneastories@gmail.com
https://www.sleepapneastories.com
Disclaimer: This podcast episode includes people with sleep apnea discussing their experiences with medical procedures and devices. This is for information purposes only and you should consult with your medical professionals before starting or stopping any medication or treatment.