EASE Treatment Course:

• Domestic patients require a total of 2 week stay
• International patients require a total of 3 week stay

Preoperative requirement:

• CT scan
• Covid Test 48 hours prior to surgery

Intraoperative course:

• Surgery duration is approximately 1 hour under IV sedation or general anesthesia
• Discharge within 1 hour after surgery is typical

Postoperative management:

Sleep with head elevated (two pillows so the head is above the heart)

• No nose blowing
• Apply ice to cheeks to reduce minor swelling
• Pain control consists of Ibuprofen (such as Advil) 600 mg every six hours
• Tylenol 350 mg in-between the doses of Ibuprofen
• If pain control is insufficient, eliminate the Tylenol and take the Norco (prescribed)
• Pain medication is typically needed for several days
• No exercise for 1 week but walking is encouraged starting post-surgery day 1
• Soft food diet such as well-cooked pasta, fish, milk shakes and soup for a few days

Expansion course:

• Duration can range between 8-12 weeks
• Expansion starts within 2-4 days of the operation and is usually done 2-3 times per week
• Usually no pain during the expansion but some pressure may be felt
• Twice weekly communication with Dr. Li after returning home is necessary to monitor the expansion progress (for out-of-town patients)
• There is no major dietary restriction during the expansion phase other than avoiding big and chewy food such as bagels, Dutch crunch bread

Consolidation phase:

• Orthodontics can begin during the consolidation phase
• The device needs to remain for 10-12 weeks after the completion of the expansion
• Removal is usually performed under local anesthesia at Sleep Apnea Surgery Center