Česky
Doctor, the sleep laboratory at the hospital in Hořovice operates under your direction. What sleep disorders do you investigate, and what is their prevalence?
Our sleep laboratory has been dealing with sleep-disordered breathing for four years now, which includes snoring and breathing stoppages due to narrowing or closure of the upper airways, collectively called sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA). We examine adult patients, where this syndrome occurs most often between the ages of 40-50 years, affecting about 21% of men and 9% of women. As of September 2016, our sleep lab is accredited, and we are dedicated to both the diagnosis and treatment of apneic syndrome.
How is the diagnosis of these sleep disorders made?
The examination needs to be comprehensive, so it takes place in several stages. Each patient undergoes overnight sleep monitoring and ENT examination. The results of these examinations will help us decide on further diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. If necessary, the patient is then referred for further investigations, e.g. pulmonary, cardiological, neurological.
How many patients have you examined in the sleep laboratory so far?
We have examined around 250 patients so far. We diagnose an average of fifteen patients per month, with a waiting time of about 1.5-2 months. Due to the massive increase in the number of patients with these problems, it is advisable to make an appointment for sleep monitoring well in advance.
How is the treatment for these sleep disorders?
Most patients are treated conservatively, that is, with a positive pressure machine that prevents the onset of respiratory arrest by keeping the upper airway unobstructed during sleep. So far we have 45 patients on this treatment with excellent results. If there is an ENT indication for surgery, patients undergo it at our hospital, under general or local anaesthesia.
Since summer 2016, our hospital has a new ENT outpatient clinic and a new surgery room ...
The newly created specialized ENT outpatient clinic is, among other things, focused on the examination of patients with sleep-disordered breathing. We have complete modern equipment. Newly we perform outpatient surgical treatment of snoring - uvuloplasty by radiofrequency ablation. The surgery room is used for "small" procedures, namely removal of skin lesions on the face and neck, especially skin tumors, pigmented nevi, and others.
For more information on sleep disorders, please visit our website: http://www.nemocnice-horovice.cz/oddeleni/interni-oddeleni/o/spankova-laborator-nemocnice-horovice
