Dr.K.O.Paulose FRCS DLO, Consultant ENT Surgeon, Jubilee Hospital, Trivandrum, Kerala, India. www.drpaulose.com  www.snorefreesleep.com
For Appointment- call 0471, 2334561, 2334564, 0471 3080300 Fax-0471-2330925
Email: drpaulose@yahoo.com Web: http://www.jubileehospital.org/
How to do Endoscopy in Snoring and OSA patient?
This Procedure involoves examining the Nose, Naso Pharynx,Retroplatal area, oropharynx,laryngo and hypo pharynx with a flexible fibre optic endoscope, inserted thru the nose, after giving local anesthetic, lidocaine 10% spray.
This is performed in OPD.This takes only few minutes and the patient can go home immediatley.
Flexible Fibre optic Naso-pharyngo- laryngoscopy is routinely done as part of evaluation in snoring and sleep apnea before OSA surgery. The areas obstruction either in nose, retroplatal area or retro lingual areas can be mapped out. Collapse of the pharyngeal lumen may be detected already in the waking state: either during spontaneous breathing or while asking the patient to do snoring maneuver.
The Endoscopy helps to find out the airway patency, position of laryngeal inlet which will help the anesthetist to anticipate difficult intubation.