Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is estimated to affect between two and nine percent of the U.S. adult population. Still, many cases are thought to go undiagnosed, fitting with studies that have discovered much higher rates of OSA. Once diagnosed with OSA, patients are generally instructed to sleep on their sides, quit smoking, lose weight, and decrease their use of sedative medications. In conjunction with these measures, many are prescribed nightly use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machine. These machines push air through a hose, into a mask, and into the patient’s airway to keep it open during sleep. Patients are to wear them at night or anytime while they are sleeping to decrease the risk of airway collapse.
There are a number of medical conditions or accidents that could cause a person to develop a hernia or a weakness in the abdominal wall. Many patients were told a simple surgery with a medical device called hernia mesh would correct their hernia, but these devices have now proven not only ineffective, but also dangerous.
IVC filters are medical devices designed to prevent blood clots. IVC filters are most commonly implanted in patients diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolus, trauma victims, immobile patients, and patients at risk for clotting that have recently undergone a surgical procedure or will soon have one; however, they have now proven to incredibly dangerous.