Dr. Robert Bodlaj
Practice for Ears-Nose-Throat Medicine
Modern sleep endoscopy is an important diagnostic procedure for determining the causes of snoring and sleep apnoea.
Dr. Robert Bodlaj | Practice for Ears-Nose-Throat Medicine
Sleep endoscopy
Various diagnostic procedures are available in Dr. Bodlaj’s practice for the safe diagnosis of the causes of snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea. One of them is sleep endoscopy with precise control of the depth of sleep while recording of brain waves and using a computer-controlled medication pump. Sleep endoscopy is carried out in our practice as an out-patient procedure.
What is actually done in sleep endoscopy?
In this examination, an anaesthetist places the patient into a deep sleep using medications. The precise monitoring of the depth of sleep is done by recording brainwaves (EEG) and using a computer-controlled medication pump.
Along with REM-sleep, which unfortunately cannot be artificially generated, Stage III and IV sleep are especially important. In these sleep stages the base tension of musculature drops especially low.
With the aid of video-nasopharyngoscopy and a microphone it is possible to record the vibrations of the soft palate, base of the tongue, the epiglottis and the larynx as well as the snoring noise itself on a DVD so that the record can be viewed later even by the patient.
In the case of sleep apnoea, it is also possible to record the collapse of these structures that are also part of the upper airways.
Even in this procedure the use of the most modern technology is indispensable. The decisive factor in the success of this diagnostic procedure is EEG-guided control of the depth of sleep since anaesthesia that is too deep can completely lower the muscle tension. The measurement would then be falsified and would be completely worthless.