For Referring Physicians

Collaborative Sleep Surgical Clinic (CSSC) has provided surgical management for obstructive sleep-disordered breathing in Melbourne since 2018, working alongside respiratory and sleep physicians to broaden the treatment options available to patients when needed.

 

Our Philosophy

 

CSSC is designed as a complement to the work of sleep and respiratory physicians — not an alternative pathway. We believe collaborative care offers the best chance of overcoming OSA for most patients, and we aim to keep referring doctors informed and involved throughout a patient’s surgical journey.

 

What Happens When You Refer a Patient

 

Each referred patient undergoes a comprehensive surgical assessment, including:

 

    •    Video airway evaluation, with findings correlated against their polysomnography data

    •    A clear surgical opinion and recommendation returned to the referring doctor

 

For patients who proceed to surgery, we conduct a structured postoperative review including:

 

    •    Postoperative sleep study (assessing hypoxic burden)

    •    Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)

    •    Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), to assess changes in mental state

    •    Postoperative problem score, to identify any complications

    •    Postoperative airway measurements

 

All outcome data is carefully documented and audited — both to refine our surgical techniques and to give patients a realistic picture of what they can expect from surgery. Referring doctors remain involved in managing any residual sleep pathology after treatment.

 

Research & Presentations

 

We have presented our outcomes annually at the national society meeting from 2021–2026, and at the Sleep Down Under meeting in 2025. We have recently published in a peer-reviewed journal, with further papers from our collaborative work in progress. Read more

 

​

 

​