Experiences with Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)

My surgery went well, afterward the pain was unreal. What pain control I was given took my pain from a 10 to a 9.9 with no improvement for at least 48 hours. From there, it tapered off until I was pain free after 10 days. Be prepared.

The result was nothing short of miraculous. I scored a 78 on the sleep study conducted in South Korea. A 30 only would have been enough to qualify for the procedure, 10 was mild, 20 was serious, 30 was “dangerous” and mine at 78 cemented my resolve to get it done.

Now, six years later, there are only two indications that anything was done. First, the back of my throat looks different, and second, I can breathe normally when I sleep. I still snore sometimes but only when extremely tired.

I do hope to conduct another sleep study to verify the absence of snoring means the absence of the apnea. I sometimes feel as if I’ve forgotten to breathe deeply enough or often enough, but that may be psychological given my previous condition.

Good luck to any going through this. I did it for my longevity as I have small children. Find your own justification and hold on to it, you’ll need it to help focus away from the pain.