Sleep disorders
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There are various symtpoms related to sleep. Snoring, daytime sleepiness, fatigue, hard to fall asleep or maintain sleep and palpitation. We are approaching reason of symptoms and providing treatment such as CPAP machine, oral appliance, medication and lifestyle modification.
Why needs treatment?
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Better sleep quality and quantity - Better performance at your work and school
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Good for your spouse - snoring or frequent wake-up makes your sleep partner’s sleep quality low
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Prevention of chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and so on
What examinations and tests are performed during the consultation?
As of 2024, with Korean national health insurance coverage, the out-of-pocket cost for a polysomnography is 133,090 won, and additional outpatient consultations and tests may cost between 5,200 and 150,000 won. Most examinations and consultations are covered by insurance, and even non-covered tests can be claimed through private insurance as approved non-benefit items.
Without Korean national health insurance, sleep study fee is 1,400,000 KRW, and medical consultation and related test costs separately.
Additional tests during consultation and examination are determined through discussion, and please feel free to let us know if you do not wish to proceed with any tests. We only perform tests that are absolutely necessary for our patients.
Medical Interview and Questionnaires
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Medical Interview: Through the interview, we identify what sleep symptoms you have and what bothers you the most. All subsequent diagnostic tests and treatments prioritize addressing your most troublesome symptoms.
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Sleep Questionnaires: We conduct comprehensive sleep evaluations using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), STOP-BANG Sleep Apnea Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). If conditions like narcolepsy, REM sleep behavior disorder, or restless legs syndrome are suspected, specialized questionnaires are administered. Questionnaires are conveniently completed electronically using QR codes.
Endoscopic Examination
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We assess airway narrowing using nasopharyngoscopy and oropharyngeal/laryngoscopy.
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If rhinitis is detected during nasopharyngoscopy, rhinitis treatment is necessary to improve sleep quality. In cases of severe septal deviation, CPAP therapy may need to be combined with surgery. Additionally, accurately identifying anatomical causes through laryngoscopy is crucial for selecting the appropriate treatment method for snoring/sleep apnea.
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When necessary, we diagnose additional anatomical issues through neck CT (Airway CT) scans.
Pulmonary Function Test
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Checking lung function is crucial in snoring/sleep apnea. When sleep apnea occurs together with obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD/Asthma), it's called Overlap syndrome, which can affect about 6.9% of adults over 40. Therefore, we perform pulmonary function tests to check for lung disease.
Cardiac Function Assessment
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Snoring/apnea during sleep can cause arrhythmia, and sometimes arrhythmia can be mistaken for sleep apnea. Based on the medical interview, we provide patients with portable ECG devices (AliveCor 6L) to assess arrhythmia at home when necessary.
Case who are diagnosed with atrial fibrillation during evaluation.
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Snoring/sleep apnea increases the risk of angina/myocardial infarction. For patients with chronic conditions, we perform fundus photography and analyze cardiovascular risk using MediWhale's Dr.Noon AI medical device.
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For those who haven't had health checkups for a long time, we conduct blood tests to evaluate liver function, kidney function, cholesterol levels, and diabetes status.
Polysomnography
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Through type I polysomnography, you will sleep at clinic overnight. we comprehensively evaluate the degree of apnea, sleep stages, sleep efficiency, wake time during sleep, and arousal level. We also assess changes based on position, apnea severity across sleep stages, and snoring volume to find the most suitable treatment method for each individual and evaluate the cause of sleep disorders.
From polysomnography data, you can check how long you stop breathing and consequent physical reaction
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Test interpretation is performed directly by the chief physician and takes about 2-3 business days after the test, followed by a final diagnosis confirmation at the outpatient clinic.
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Test results are sent via email and KakaoTalk notifications.
Sleep Study Room
Treatment Plan Decision
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Based on the severity and pattern of snoring and sleep apnea, we determine treatment plans including CPAP therapy, oral appliance use, and lifestyle management.
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When conditions such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, depression/anxiety disorder are present, we provide concurrent treatment and refer to specialists at affiliated university hospitals or other medical institutions when necessary.
Lifelong Management
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We provide continuous management through digital healthcare and automated systems.
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Once treatment and management are stabilized, continuous care is conveniently available through telemedicine.
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Starting December 2024, we will introduce AI medical devices for home sleep apnea monitoring, enabling assessment of improvements in snoring/sleep apnea following weight loss and lifestyle management.
