Novel tool to treat apnea launched

Hyderabad: A 56th workshop on ‘Obstructive sleep apnea & sleep-related breathing disorders’ was held on November 17, at Maa ENT Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. Apnea is temporary cessation of breathing, especially during sleep.

Dr Meghanadh, Chief ENT Surgeon, Maa ENT Hospitals, said for the first time in the country, a new diagnostic tool called Apneograph, designed by Prof. Magnett Fineram was introduced in the workshop. Discussions and demonstrations were held about the working of this tool. This tool is helpful to know information about the diagnosis, about the severity of disturbance, about the site or sites of obstruction.  It is a tool which enables doctors to do both the tests at a time and is more realistic tool than drug induced sleep endoscopy.

Apnea means sensation of breathing for more than 10 seconds which is dangerous. Poly sonography is helpful to identify the severity of the snoring and apnea attack. Sleep-related problems are very common in American population. Now it is increasing in India due to changes in lifestyle and is in the range between 10 – 20 %. An in-depth discussion on OSA, snoring disorders and sleep-related breathing disorders was held by the experts in the field. Lectures were delivered by international faculty, national faculty and inhouse faculty.