Dr Rob Shea to present at international Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist conference
- 27 May 2022
- Other
Dr. Rob Shea, our resident “Sleep Apnoea” dentist, has been invited to make a presentation and sit on a panel of experts to discuss sleep apnoea at the 72nd Annual Scientific Meeting of The Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery (ASOHNS) on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
Throat, ear, and nose soft tissue procedures on the throat and tongue are frequently performed by surgeons to lessen the severity of sleep apnoea.
Dr. Shea will discuss a method known as DISE (Drug Induced Sleep Endoscopy). Through the use of a nasal endoscope, doctors can examine the pharynx to see what obstacles each person has when they have sleep apnoea.
Rob is particularly interested in the effect of moving the lower jaw (mandible) forwards during the 20-minute procedure under sedation to examine what effect it has on the pharyngeal tissues when a patient is “asleep.”
He will demonstrate how to use a Gauge to determine how much lower jaw movement is required to clear any obstructions, so that he may create a mandibular advancement splint using these measures (MAS). Patients with sleep apnoea/snoring can utilise the MAS as an alternate treatment.
The presentation will also explain the usage of “over the counter” sleep devices that can be purchased on the internet to push the lower jaw forwards and so help with sleep apnoea and snoring. Unfortunately, because these devices are only available in 1-2 sizes, they will not fit in the majority of cases.
ASOHNS is the representative organisation for Ear Nose and Throat Head and Neck Surgeons in Australia, and dates from 1950.
Picture of the Somnomed Avant and a Somngauge
