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About Us
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a recently recognized disease that affects 2-4% of adults in Hong Kong. The Comprehensive Sleep Apnea Centre provides one-stop service in diagnosis and management of patients with OSAS through a multi-disciplinary approach. The Centre also provides public education programmes to promote awareness of OSAS.

About Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is due to repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep, leading to arterial oxygen desaturation and frequent awakenings. Individuals suffering from OSAS would have fragmented sleep and poor sleep quality. They also have excessive daytime sleepiness, impaired intellectual performance and more fatigue-related vehicle accidents. Those suffering from OSAS would have an increased risk of having hypertension, insulin resistance, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Main Symptoms
If you have the following symptoms, you may be suffering from OSAS:
• Habitual loud snoring
• Apnea (stopping of breathing) during sleep
• Excessive daytime sleepiness

Risk Factors
The following factors put an individual at a higher risk of having OSAS. The risk also increases proportionately with age.
• lderly
• Obesity
• Severe nasal allergy
• Small jaw
• Short neck
• Big tonsils
• Hypothyroidism
• Chronic cardio-pulmonary disease

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Our Service
Diagnose Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Individuals suspected of having OSAS can consult a sleep apnea specialist at our Centre for clinical assessment.

In order to confirm the diagnosis, polysomnography (multi-channels overnight sleep study) has to be performed. Polysomnography is a painless and non-invasive procedure to record the sleep pattern, heart rate, breathing pattern, muscle activities, snoring and arterial oxygen levels during sleep. The procedure is conducted in our Sleep Laboratory.

In difficult and complicated cases such as failure after previous sleep surgery, sleep endoscopy will be carried out under sedation to assess the level of the narrowed segment in the upper airway using a flexible endoscope.

Therapeutic Options
A suitable treatment regimen will be formulated by our experienced sleep apnea specialists for individual patients. Therapeutic options include:

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices: To splint the upper airway with air pressure in order to prevent its collapse during sleep.

Oral appliances: To reposition the lower jaw with a custom made dental device, thereby enlarging the airway space behind the back of the tongue.

Surgery: To resect or reposition throat structures obstructing the upper airway so as to restore normal flow of air in and out of the lungs.

Modification of lifestyles such as weight control

Follow-up assessment will be provided at our Centre after treatment to evaluate the patient’s condition to determine whether further support is necessary.

Paediatric Sleep Apnoea
Snoring is common in children. Researchers found 10-15% of normal children snore regularly. Most children who snore are otherwise healthy. However, one out of 4 children with persistent snoring suffers from Sleep Apnoea. If your child snores regularly, he/she may suffer from Sleep Apnoea. You should seek the advice of a sleep specialist.

Childhood Sleep Apnoea is a chronic illness. Early in the disease, the child snores regularly during the night. He or she may look completely normal during the day. Childhood Sleep Apnoea is different from adult Sleep Apnoea. In particular, children with Sleep Apnoea often do not have daytime sleepiness.

Children with Sleep Apnoea suffer from poor sleep quality and intermittent low blood oxygen level during sleep. In more serious cases, they may suffer from problems at school, behavioural problems, delayed growth, or even heart failure. Some of these symptoms are similar to those described in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, some children with Sleep Apnoea are misdiagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

How do we diagnose Sleep Apnoea in children?
Overnight sleep test is the most reliable way to diagnose Sleep Apnoea in children. Sleep test can be done in children of all ages. Your child needs to stay in the hospital for a night. Before bedtime, sleep test technician will put on several measuring wires and belts on your child. These will record brain wave, breathing, heart rhythm, blood oxygen level, etc. The process of sleep test is not painful and will not pose any danger to your child. The sleep test data will be carefully interpreted by specialist, to determine whether your child suffers from Sleep Apnoea, and to determine the severity of the Sleep Apnoea. Children with daytime behavioural problem, inattention, or mood instability will be assessed by clinical psychologist.

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Contact Us
Address: 1/F, Li Shu Pui Block
Tel: 2835 8607
Fax: 2892 7507
Email: ppc@hksh.com

Consultation Hours
Wednesdays: 9:00 am – 10:00 am
(By appointment only)