Robotic surgery might provide help for some of the 18-million Americans suffering from sleep apnea.
People with sleep apnea can stop breathing more than 30 times an hour and those pauses in breathing can last up to 20 seconds at a time.
It is dangerous if left untreated.
Mount Sinai is using robotic sleep apnea surgery in an effort to seek out a permanent solution instead of being hooked up to machines during sleep.
Mount Sinai is one of only a few programs in the country to use transoral robotic surgery to remove excess tissue or fix collapsed airways that causes sleep apnea.
The procedure, in its simplest terms, gives doctors the ability to reach parts of the throat that they couldn't without the robotic arms.
It's all done through the mouth and doctors control the robotic arm using a 3D monitor.
The robotic surgery removes tissue that causes airway blockage with no external incisions.
The results of the surgery can take several months.
But, not everyone is so convinced about the new surgery.
Dr. Carol Ash of the Health Sleep Center says, "The problem is whenever you have a new technology like robotics it creates a lot of enthusiasm and the public will want to race to what is that new cutting edge technology."
She says patients should explore all treatment options and consider the risks before getting robotic surgery.
"You can have worsening of your respiratory status after the surgery, certainly there is bleeding, one thing that is very common with the surgery is pain," says Dr. Carol.
If you've got bunions, chances are others in your family suffer from the common foot disorder, with a new study finding the condition is often passed down from parents to children.
If you've got bunions, chances are others in your family suffer from the common foot disorder, with a new study finding the condition is often passed down from parents to children.
Boys who are diagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are twice as likely to become obese adults as those who didn't have the disorder when they were young, a new 30-year study shows.
Boys who are diagnosed with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are twice as likely to become obese adults as those who didn't have the disorder when they were young, a new 30-year study shows.
As the American Psychiatric Association unveils the latest edition of what is considered the "bible" of modern psychiatry this weekend, the uproar over its many changes continues.
As the American Psychiatric Association unveils the latest edition of what is considered the "bible" of modern psychiatry this weekend, the uproar over its many changes continues.
Just a few extra cups of coffee each month might help prevent the development of an autoimmune liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a new study suggests.
Just a few extra cups of coffee each month might help prevent the development of an autoimmune liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a new study suggests.
There are apps that turn your smartphone into a metal detector, a musical instrument and a GPS system, and now there's an app that may help doctors save your life if you're having a heart attack.
There are apps that turn your smartphone into a metal detector, a musical instrument and a GPS system, and now there's an app that may help doctors save your life if you're having a heart attack.
Although spring arrived late this year in parts of the United States, the summer allergy season will still be strong, according to a sinus expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Although spring arrived late this year in parts of the United States, the summer allergy season will still be strong, according to a sinus expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Monday, May 20 2013 6:40 AM EDT2013-05-20 10:40:03 GMT
More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of a vaccine scare that raised the specter of autism.
More than a decade ago, British parents refused to give measles shots to at least a million children because of a vaccine scare that raised the specter of autism.
People who opt for nonsmoking rooms in hotels with a partial smoking ban are not fully protected from harmful exposure to so-called "thirdhand" smoke, according to a new study.
People who opt for nonsmoking rooms in hotels with a partial smoking ban are not fully protected from harmful exposure to so-called "thirdhand" smoke, according to a new study.
