Treatment options available for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in India – Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a health disorder, characterized in patients who display snoring accompanied with irregular breathing patterns while being asleep. The main cause of OSA is the ’obstruction in throat muscles’ – they are normally in a relaxed state but tend to fall backwards during sleep – hence the disease is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea or OSA. It affects 22% men and 17% women globally, especially middle-aged overweight adults.

Which all potential health hazards can OSA cause?

If left untreated, OSA could tremendously affect quality of life due to a lack of sound sleep. It may further lead to stroke, heart attack, diabetes, sexual disorder, stress and irritability.

When should one consult a doctor?

Many patients believe that snoring is not related to any illness and is a normal phenomenon; however one should seek consultation from a specialist doctor when:

• Snoring starts to interrupt in getting a sound sleep for themselves as well as in others around.
• Shortness of breath leads to off and on sleep, leading to irregular sleeping patterns.

What treatment options are available to cure sleep apnea in India?

Proper diagnosis of sleep apnea and identification of its cause is the key before treating any sleep apnea patient. Two types of treatment options are available:

1. Non-surgical treatments include:
2. Sleeping on either side to minimize throat muscle obstruction
3. Following proper sleeping pattern religiously and getting adequate sleep – this could eventually help in reducing episodes of sleep apnea
4. Saying goodbye to alcohol right before the sleeping time – this helps in increasing airways passage
5. Regularly exercising – this could help in reducing weight that could prove beneficial in mild and moderate sleep apnea cases
6. Quitting to smoke as smoking leads to swelling the throat that could cause obstruction
7. Control positive airway pressure (CPAP) mask: This is the most advised treatment option for treating sleep apnea. CPAP mask allows pressurized air to pass through the nose into the airways, thus helping in prevention of obstruction that could happen due to lack of enough oxygen while sleeping. This mask is connected to the device that is supposed to be placed near bedside where patient sleeps – this device helps in pumping the pressurized air. Although it is a non-invasive treatment, but still most patient find it difficult to sleep with the CPAP mask on and are hence unable to comply with it most of the time. For such patients, treatment options include weight reduction, use of oral devices and finally a surgery.

What is Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery In India?

Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery (TROS) is a highly advanced, minimum invasive surgical option for the treatment of OSA. As part of this surgery, to reduce obstruction, the surgeon reduces the base of the tongue through the oral cavity using da Vinci robot. It is considered as a safe, highly precise surgical treatment option for patients, without having them to suffer serious complications with excellent clinical results that help in improving the quality of life. In addition to eliminating the existing obstruction in the mouth, throat and nose, the da Vinci robot also empowers the TROS surgeons to perform surgery even in the deeper areas of the oral cavity. One of the major benefits in such type of robotic surgery is that it can be customized according to the patient’s need and anatomy.

What should I know before I think of undergoing TROS?

To start with, the surgeon recommends the patient to undergo the sleep study test. To prepare for this test, the patient is required at get admitted in the special sleep lab for a day. The patient is being monitored by a specialist who operates the video camera to observe and record the sleeping patterns and any visible shortcomings.

There is another alternative test namely ‘sleep endoscopy’ for those who don’t want to wear the CPAP mask during the sleep study. In this procedure, the patient will be given a medicine for sleep. While the patient is still asleep, an endoscope is inserted in the nose and throat to see the site better and understand the extent of obstruction caused to plan and prepare for the robotic surgery. These tests will enable surgeons to identify the need of TROS.

what is the cost of Trans-Oral Robotic Surgery In India?

Robotic surgery for obstructive sleep apnea will cost around 3500$ with highly trained doctor and in top raked JCI accredited hospital in India.

Know Your Doctor

Dr. Surender Kumar Dabas is one of the best robotic surgeons in Delhi. He has more than 12 Years of experience in the field of Robotic Head and Neck Surgery. In fact, he has performed the maximum number of Robotic Head and Neck Surgery in Asia. He has also started a Robotic surgeon fellowship in the area of head and neck oncology.

He is a professional Robotic surgeon who has performed various Robotic surgeries with great degree of accuracy.  He is a pioneer in Robotic Head and Neck Surgery in India.  He completed his training in the field of robotic surgery from many centers like Upenn in Philadelphia and Yonsei Cancer University, Korea. He then took up this technology to Thorax, Gynecology and Urology.

No doubt being the best robotic surgeon in India, he performs many types of complex surgeries with more flexibility, precision and control over the robotic techniques. His surgery success rate generally varies from 94% to 100%.

KALPANA NAGPAL has more than 26 years of Experience in Microscopic and Endoscopic Surgeries. Presently she is working as Senior Consultant ENT / Otorhinolaryngologist Head and Neck and Chief Robotic Surgeon at Apollo Hospital New Delhi. She has performed more than 100 successful robotic ENT, Head, and Neck Surgeries by using advanced technology. She believes that Robots are the future of surgeries as they have a great impact on the outcome of the surgeries. Not only does it reduce the complexity of the surgery but also it helps the patients with faster recovery.

She has received an ICMR Scholarship for screening secretory Otitis Media in school children. She has received Da Vinci Certification for ROBOTIC SURGERY IN SEOUL, South Korea.  She attends national and international workshops on the management of OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnoea) and regularly visits MIMA Sleep Centre in Melbourne, Florida.Dr. Nagpal taught in New Delhi’s Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and Nehru Homeopathic College. For three years, she was the President of the Doctors Forum at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi.

She is a Lifetime member of Sleep CON, INDIA, and AOI, as well as a panelist at E.N.T conferences hosted at Apollo Hospitals and other locations in New Delhi. Dr. Nagpal has a number of papers to her name in a variety of periodicals.