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From: rws
Date: 03 Aug 2005
Time: 08:24:12 -0700
Remote Name: 64.252.7.167
Don't get UPPP until you try all the other options, including CPAP. Make sure your ENT does an endoscopic exam of your throat and a full set of xrays to determine if UPPP will even work for you. UPPP/LAUP are extremely painful and rarely successful. Even the most conservative ENT's will only claim a 50-65% success rate, and that's for the first year. The rate of relapse over 5 years is 90%! So only 10% of the 65% (best case) have long-term relief. That's 6.5%!!! Not very good odds. If you have UPPP make sure you are admitted. I had it as an outpatient and almost died from dehydration from being unable to swallow. I found out later that I should have been kept at least overnight on IV fluids with pain meds until I could swallow on my own. Any honest ENT will tell you it's some of the worst pain you will ever experience, it will take a week for you to be able to croak out a few words, and a month to get back to normal. UPPP is a very last resort.