CPAP and Medical Treatments

At MUSC Health, you receive well-rounded care that reflects the recommendations of multiple experts. Our team includes sleep medicine doctors and surgeons with additional training in areas such as neurology and psychiatry. This expertise allows us to successfully treat challenging and uncommon sleep problems.

Sleep Evaluations and Testing

We offer a broad range of evaluation and testing services. These services allow us to accurately diagnose problems and determine whether treatments are working. 

Sleep Disorders Evaluations

We perform a detailed assessment to learn more about the symptoms you are experiencing. We also check for other conditions that may be affecting your sleep. This information helps us determine the best testing or treatments.

Sleep Studies

If we suspect sleep apnea, we perform sleep studies to assess symptoms while you are sleeping. You may need a sleep study if you have sleep apneas, snoring or insomnia. Sleep studies may involve an overnight stay in our sleep lab. You may also have the option of home testing with portable devices. A physician referral is necessary for this service.

Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT)

During an MSLT we evaluate whether you fall asleep quickly in a quiet environment. If you have daytime tiredness, this test allows us to confirm or rule out sleep problems, such as narcolepsy. For this test, you undergo five naps over the course of the day in a dark, quiet environment.

Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT)

We evaluate whether you can stay alert during periods of inactivity during the day. You may need an MWT if you are a pilot or truck driver.

Sleep Endoscopy

Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is a recently added diagnostic tool used by sleep surgeons to provide an accurate understanding of the level of airway collapse (closure) when the patient is sleeping. 

After initiating sedation, the surgeon places the distal chip-tip camera into the nose identifying the side with least resistance. The camera is passed under vision through the nose, between the inferior and middle turbinates towards the  nasopharynx. 

While DISE can provide an idea about static obstruction, the main value is to evaluate dynamic collapse. This allows us to identify the level, degree and configuration of the dynamic collapse. This is essential to help guide the sleep surgeon if the patient can benefit from certain procedures, that are discussed afterwards. 

Additional findings include:

• Lowest 02 saturation
• Improvement of desaturation with maneuvers like:
  • Jaw thrust
  • Mouth closure
  • Positional therapy

Customized Sleep Care

We develop a personalized care plan based on your diagnosis and care preferences. Your treatment may include:

• CPAP, a sleep apnea machine: If you have sleep apnea, your care may include continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. You wear a mask over your nose or mouth when you sleep. The mask attaches to a CPAP machine that creates gentle pressure to keep your throat open. The machine helps you get enough oxygen and continuous, quality sleep.
• CPAP machine titration: To make sure the CPAP machine is delivering appropriate pressure, we perform an overnight sleep test. We adjust machine settings to make sure pressure levels keep your airway open without damaging sensitive nearby tissue.
• Mouth (oral) devices: Our team includes dentists who treat snoring and sleep apneas with custom oral devices. These devices position your mouth and tongue to open your airway.
• Specialized care for excessive sleepiness (hypersomnia): We deliver personalized recommendations to relieve daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy. Your treatment may include medications to increase alertness during the day or support toward maintaining good sleep habits.