Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) | Head & Neck Surgery, KTPH

This device stimulates the tongue nerve to help with sleep apnoea

What to Expect

• A small cut in the mouth and/or tongue (from monitoring electrodes during surgery)

• Sore throat for 1-3 days (from breathing tube during surgery)

• Moderate discomfort along 2 surgical sites with swelling under the neck incision

Diet

You can eat regular food

Wound Care & Recovery

• No heavy lifting (over 5kg) or raising your arm above your head for 3 weeks

• Avoid strenuous activity (any straining or anything that would elevate your blood pressure) for 3 weeks. Walking is encouraged

• Please remove the OUTER dressing and gauze on the second day after surgery (48 hours after surgery). You will notice a dried, purple adhesive over each wound. Do not disturb this adhesive as it will peel off on its own over 1-3 weeks

• Once the outer dressing is removed, you can shower (no baths or water submersion). Avoid scrubbing/scratching/stretching the incision

Medications

Please take the medications as prescribed (May differ depending on consultant practise)

• Panadeine (oral), take one or two tabletss every 8 hours as needed for pain, use minimum necessary, reduce dose if it makes you sleepy. This medication includes paracetamol and opioids, do NOT use with other paracetamol or opioid containing medications

• Lactulose 10mls 3 times a day to prevent constipation as needed

Other Instructions

If you normally use a sleep apnoea breathing machine (CPAP/BiPAP machine), oxygen or an oral appliance every night, you may continue using it after surgery unless the straps or device lay on your surgical sites

Please seek medical attention via the emergency department if you develop:

• fever

• severe pain/swelling/redness at any of your surgical sites

• difficulty swallowing

• difficulty breathing

Follow-up Schedule (Estimated)

2 weeks: 1st post-operative wound review

1 month: Device activation

3 months: Self-titration performance prior to sleep study

4-5 months: In-hospital titration sleep study with the device for fine tuning

6 months: Review post-titration sleep study. You may or may not require a home sleep study with the device at optimum settings to confirm overnight efficacy

If you have questions or concerns, please contact the clinic or through the contact centre and one of our team members will respond at the earliest convenience.

To make an appointment with C62 ENT Clinic, call 6555 8828.

ENT.PE.13.1125