Pillar Implant – Sleep Apnea

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The Pillar Procedure is a surgical technique to reduce snoring. It may also have some benefit in treating mild sleep apnea. The procedure involves placing permanent implants into the soft palate to stiffen it. There is far less post-operative pain than with any other surgical treatment for snoring. It is done in one treatment session in the office under local anesthetic and requires no prescription pain medication or days missed from work during recovery. The procedure is very safe, is FDA approved, and is reversible if necessary.

What Is the Pillar Procedure?

The Pillar Procedure implants to help stop snoring are tiny. Tiny Pillar Procedure implants are inserted into the soft palate to reduce the tissue vibration that can cause snoring problems.

The Pillar® Procedure is a simple, safe, and effective treatment designed to stiffen your soft palate to help you stop snoring. In many cases, it can also help people suffering from mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It’s a relatively painless procedure that can be performed in a doctor’s office in about 20 minutes, using only local anesthetic.

During the Pillar Procedure, our specially trained ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctors place 3 tiny woven implants (approximately 0.7 inches long and 0.08 inches wide) into the soft palate using a sterile delivery tool. Over time, the implants, together with the body’s natural fibrotic response, add structural support to stiffen the soft palate and reduce the tissue vibration that can cause snoring. The implants also help reduce the tissue collapse that can obstruct the upper airway and cause sleep apnea.

All patients must have some type of sleep testing prior to the procedure. We can arrange testing for you after consultation. If you have already had a sleep study, please bring it with you. With some exceptions, we only recommend this procedure for patients with a respiratory disturbance index (RDI) of 15 or less, and a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or less. We do not consider this procedure to be a substitute for CPAP in patients with moderate or severe apnea.

For more information about Pillar Implants or Sleep Apnea or to find out if this treatment is right for you, please call to schedule a consultation with one of our physicians. (310) 477-5558 or complete the form below.

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