New Way to Silence Snoring
Pillar procedure helps couples get a good night's sleep
By MARIANNE FAVRO
Updated 1:31 PM EDT, Tue, Jul 28, 2009
What's it like to hear a tuba blaring in your bed at night?
Julia Gerhardt-Jacob says that's what her husband sounds like when he snores.
"I was going without sleep," said Gerhardt-Jacob.
She's not alone: The National Sleep Foundation estimates 90 million Americans have a snoring problem. Snoring is often linked to a serious condition called obstructive sleep apnea, in which people's breathing can stop at night because of obstructed airways.
The couple resorted to sleeping in shifts. She would go to bed three hours earlier than her husband, Ted, just to be guaranteed a few hours of sleep.
Ted tried a cumbersome contraption known as a CPAP device commonly used to treat sleep apnea as well as snoring. It worked but was so uncomfortable Ted couldn't sleep. A mouthguard didn't help, either.
So finally Ted visited plastic surgeon Dr. Matthew Mingrone at the California Face and Laser Institute in East Palo Alto. Dr. Mingrone performed what's called a Pillar procedure, implanting small polyester rods into Ted's palate to stiffen it and prevent it from vibrating, the condition which creates loud snores.
The procedure can be performed during a lunch hour, using local anesthesia.
Just a few weeks later, Julia says she was able to get some much needed rest .
"We've been able to sleep together peacefully," said Gerhardt-Jacob. "I'm more cheerful now that I'm getting more sleep."
Ted says he felt no pain -- except in his wallet. The procedure cost more than $2,000 and it's not covered by the couple's insurance.
Aetna, a large health insurer, considers Pillar procedures to be "experimental," though it's been found effective in treating sleep apnea when tested in clinical trials.
First Published: Jul 10, 2009 6:35 PM EDT on NBC Bay Area
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