Hi,

First of all, please excuse my English.

I breathe sufficiently well during the day, but during the night, when
I should be sleeping pleasantly, my nose gets clogged, and I have
terrible apneas and sleep disorders.

I had surgery 5 years ago, to straighten my septum, and cut part of my
"cornetes" (turbinates?), and that did help for some years, but now
I'm having again nasal obstruction during night time. I have recently
visited two more otorhinolaringologists, and while waiting for some
tests they are going to do on me (rhinomanometry + polysomnography
(waiting line for the latter one is... 2 years!)) I have this
temptation to try something, and I wanted to know if someone has tried
something similar before.

My health is getting worse every day, and I had this idea. I am
thinking of using one of these tubes
http://www.smiths-medical.com/catalog/endotracheal-tubes/disposable-cuffed-endot
racheal-tubes/pvc-reinforced-oral-nasal.html
to get enough air into/out of my lungs during night time. I would use
two (uncuffed) tubes, one for each nostril. I would cut them so that
their tips wouldn't end up even close to my larynx, and I would insert
them into my nostrils during night time, so that a minimum aperture
for air flow is guaranteed in each nostril, no matter how much
inflammation my turbinates suffer and how much mucus I secrete. That
is, I would use them only 8 hours/day. The material seems to be
appropriate to be in contact with the mucous membranes. I guess it
would be uncomfortable to feel them inside my nostrils, but I don't
think it can be more uncomforable than NOT being able to breathe
through my nose.

Has anyone tried this? Any scientific study? Any personal experience?
Could the mucous membranes be damaged? I would start trying the tubes
during short periods of time.

I remember that, after the surgery, 5 years ago, I had two pieces of
plastic (now I think they were nasal airway splints like the ones
shown in http://www.tecfen.com/medical/OtoFac/nasalsp.html) inside my
nostrils, for 3 weeks (they were intended to keep my septum straight),
and I breathed quite well with them, and didn't feel at all
uncomfortable.

Any serious information would be appreciated, since this is killing
me.

Thanks a lot,