Sleep apnea operation. For those interested.

I haven't read the whole article yet. But this might be of interest to some of you.

Surgeon becomes first in Salt Lake to perform life-changing sleep apnea operation

 

"Inspire is only for moderate to severe sleep apnea cases and, like all surgeries, there is risk of infection. According to CBS News, the cost of the device is around $20,000, not including the surgery."

 

But
Drivers probably will still have to use their CPAP machine every night so they can get their medical card.

 

This is what is screwed up about OSA in the trucking industry. It is a money grab, plain and simple. Yes, sleep apnea is real and needs to be treated but there as many alternatives to a CPAP machine.

I have a friend that is a retired airline transport pilot, meaning he flew passenger jets. He had OSA in the late 90's, his first CPAP was the size of a suitcase. Found a surgical procedure to fix it in 2005 and did away with the machine for life. The airlines didn't care about monitoring compliance, they wanted their pilots fixed.

Truckers don't have the money or strength in numbers to stand up to the industry about OSA so we get stuck with monitoring like we are little children. The medical industry should be ashamed, rather than fix a problem they simply want to treat it with a long term revenue generating solution.

If you chose a surgical fix you should only have to prove it worked by taking another sleep study, maybe at the 6 month and again at the 2 year mark, then go on with your life again. This monitoring machine usage is b.s.

 

what's funny about the sleep apnea thing is anybody with a AHI above 5 is considered to have sleep apnea which is retarded.
Everybody and I repeat everybody even you skinny little pecker poles have a certain degree of sleep apnea and it varies from night night.
I took that test twice cuz I couldn't sleep the first time the second time I took 3 sleeping pills and it made my AHI 8 above 5 is considered you have sleep apnea. A normal super healthy person will probably still have a AHI of 2 to 4.
It's a money-making scam just like the DOT physical, I was reading an article the other day that said there was more commercial vehicle fatal accidents since the start of doing DOT physicals then before.
It's all a bunch of s### and you're just along for the ride, so kick your feet up have a cold one and relax till next year when they come up with some more BS.

Couldn't find a graph with the last few years numbers but here's an article. https://www.trucks.com/2018/10/04/large-truck-fatalities-29-year-high/

 

I think drivers having to pass a physical is a good idea,.

 

I hear you I think rainbow sherbet and lollipops at every truck stop could possibly be a good thing also I just don't think we should federally mandate it. Remember before the FMCSA started all this physical crap trucks were pretty safe and since they started it the amount of fatality accidents involving trucks have went up substantially. Just end up costing people crap loads of money with the physicals in apnea testing in any other type of BS some Washington think-tank can come up with.

Lots of really good drivers have got sick of the BS and walked away from the industry but I guess that's okay because the puppy mills keep putting inexperienced idiots out there I wouldn't trust to drive a riding lawn mower much less an 80,000 lb truck.

 

Did you factor in the increased traffic, way higher speed limits and cell phone useage in you study?

 

Nothing was said about possibly a interference on that main nerve with the necessary reaction to get the airway open by the device. Maybe it's very little. I think the successful one was probably not too bothered by the ZAP! every time that little thing fires.

The cost of the device is one thing, The associated costs of surgery is quite another. My implant ran about 12 to 14K just for itself and the associated billing is standing at 38K this year and upwards of 15K last year, 7 of that related to just the two ER visits for breakthrough pain and loss of mobility. One of which resulted in the referral which confirmed that yes indeedy it's busted. PT ran another 4 for 5 weeks including nursing visits. Everything is included in the billing, labs, medicines, room (2k a night times 6 nights for single with dedicated nurse. My share with insurance came to very little. The hospital may reduce it a little bit further because there is a powerful amount of giving in this area in many ways.

The problem is we are doing it at a very young age, int he 50's there are people who are also recieving implants in the 40's from the work that has destroyed the original joints via arthritis etc. It's still way way cheaper than nursing home or other issues that would take away from quality of life. Also the implant technology has gotten really good. The one my grandmother got was plain metal on metal and the one my father has is somewhere in between that technology and the ceramic I use. We will do this again when the other joint fails and then breaks.

Looking at the sleep apnea situation. When I started we had nothing like that. The CDL's came around that that started the pee testing. Which ran to grotesque solutions when I am sitting there telling them I can do a thousand miles and not go. Then it's 60 dollars billable to me for waiting on me. HA... Then it went into drug testing and expanded quietly and fast. Finally the sleep apnea started from my perspective pre obamacare in the doctor's office with questions about sleep and then posters. Then everyone ask questions about sleep. What? It's good leave it.

The CDC has a lot to do with regulating the activity of doctors in the American Medical world. And you could see it for example in pain management when they quietly told ER's what to do or not to do rather, followed by all the states following up with any doctor who dares prescribe any pain shots or anything stronger than a few norcos. And the MME Thresholds are lowered by the year.

I do not have a issue when someone has sleep apnea and needs some form of treatment. Its already very espensive to get inolved in anyway. If I ever had it I would not worry about it. If I should die before I wake etc. Old school. And the day time would just have to take care of itself.