Respiratory and sleep medicine I St Vincent’s Private Hospitals

St Vincent’s Private Hospitals offer a wide range of respiratory and sleep medicine related services, for details of the respiratory and sleep medicine services at your local St Vincent’s Private Hospital, click here.

Our dedicated respiratory and sleep specialists support people living with conditions that affect their breathing.

People experiencing breathlessness, daytime sleepiness, chronic cough and snoring are often referred to our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists who test for, diagnose and treat respiratory conditions.

A respiratory condition can affect your nose, sinuses, throat, larynx, trachea (windpipe), lungs, chest wall or diaphragm. It can also interfere with the circulation of blood through your lungs. The part of your brain that controls breathing can also be a source of respiratory problems.

Our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists

Our respiratory and sleep medicine physicians care for people with a range of lung and airway conditions, sleep disorders and sleep apnoea.
We have respiratory and sleep medicine specialists with interests and expertise in all aspects of respiratory and sleep medicine.

We diagnose and treat:

Sleep apnoea
Asthma
Chronic cough and bronchitis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (emphysema)
Cystic fibrosis
Interstitial lung disease
Pneumonia and tuberculosis

Lung cancer
Disorders that affect blood circulation through the lungs

Our sleep apnoea testing services include:

Overnight sleep studies with video facilities
Tests for excessive daytime sleepiness
Prescription of devices to manage obstructive sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea is a very common condition that can be diagnosed and treated by a respiratory and sleep medicine specialist.

Everyone needs a good night’s sleep to function properly and enjoy life.
Sleep apnoea can affect the quantity and quality of your sleep, leaving you tired and prone to sleepiness during the day.

Sleep apnoea occurs when your airway becomes blocked, or partially blocked while you’re asleep. You may not even know it’s happening, although your partner may complain that you snore. Sleep apnoea is more common in men and in people who are overweight, although anyone can be affected.

A sleep test can determine whether you have sleep apnoea and one of our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists can recommend appropriate treatment as well as follow-up care.

A healthy night’s sleep is a fundamental human need. Sleep is important for our physical and emotional health, so we can have the energy we need for ourselves and those we care about. Sleep problems can manifest in different ways; some people have trouble sleeping, while others feel tired, no matter how long they spend in bed.

What is a sleep study?
A sleep study is a complex neurophysiological recording conducted as part of an overall evaluation to look at what is happening during sleep. Many things are recorded including brain wave activity (EEG), muscle tone (EMG), heart rate (ECG), breathing patterns, oxygen levels, leg movements and video of abnormal movements and behaviours. In addition to these standard recording channels, there are a range of additional recordings that can be added depending upon the clinical problem.

How does a sleep study work?
Sleep studies are conducted in our sleep laboratory, which is a specially constructed facility within St Vincent’s Private Hospital East Melbourne, with measures to control noise, light and electrical interference. In the evening, sleep technologists apply recording electrodes, and monitor recordings whilst patients are sleeping. This service assists in the diagnosis and treatment of a range of sleep disorders including Sleep Apnoea, Restless Legs Syndrome, Insomnia, Narcolepsy, Parasomnias, Circadian Rhythm disorders and unrefreshing sleep.

St Vincent’s Private East Melbourne Sleep Disorders Unit
(03) 9928 6765

Sleep Physicians
Your GP can refer you to one of our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists.

Find details of our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists

Contact Us

At St Vincent’s Private Hospital Northside, we have an experienced and highly-qualified group of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Physicians who are specially trained to care for people suffering from lung disease, airway infections and sleep disorders. Our services include assessment, treatment and management of a range of respiratory and sleep conditions.

Our services may be suitable for people requiring assessment for:

Complex Lung Disease
Advanced Lung Disease
Interstitial Lung Disease
Lung and Airway Infections
Respiratory Disease & Chronic Respiratory Illnesses
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic Cough
Asthma
Pneumonia
Sleep Apnea

Your GP can refer you to one of our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists.

Find details of our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists here

Contact Us

Please note, we do not offer an overnight sleep study service at St Vincent’s Private Hospital Toowoomba.

Queensland Respiratory Services offers a full range of lung function and allergy testing in an accredited laboratory backed by the largest private respiratory physician group in the state. Referrals for this service are available to inpatients and outpatients.

This service is located at Entrance 3, Level 2.

For appointments please contact call 07 4646 4250. A medical referral is required for this service. Referrals can be faxed to fax: 07 4646 4253.

For more information visit www.qldrespiratory.com.au

Services are available by GP referral. Your GP can refer you to one of our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists.

Find details of our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists here

Sleep Medicine and Tests

Sleep disorders, such as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) are very common. OSA affects up to 9% of the adult population. At St Vincent’s Private Hospital Werribee we run diagnostic sleep studies. This is an initial sleep study to diagnose what is not working when a patient is asleep. We conduct CPAP Implementation and review studies as well as MAS review studies for patients who have been previously diagnosed with OSA.

Why is a sleep study needed?

Is the patient becoming tired during the day? Are they having trouble focusing? Does a partner get woken by snoring? Does the patient have headaches? These could all be symptoms of a sleep disorder from Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. To see exactly what is going on when a patient sleeps, a sleep study is a hassle free option were the patient is looked after by a team of trained sleep professionals.

About the hospital stay

Patients arrive at St Vincent’s Private Werribee around 7pm at the main reception. Once welcomed into our spacious rooms patients will have a series of wires put on by our friendly staff. These wires will record things such as breathing, heart rate, oxygen levels, leg movements and brain waves during sleep so we can see if there is anything that may point towards a particular sleep disorder. Patients are woken by staff around 6am, were all the wires are removed.

Once we have analysed the sleep study and one of our sleep physicians has interpreted the data, it will be sent back to see the referring doctor with the results and a treatment plan.

Sleep Physicians

Your GP can refer you to one of our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists.

Find more details about our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists here

Contact Us

The Mater Hospital is a leading private hospital renowned for its quality care and compassion. We take a holistic approach to healthcare and acknowledge the uniqueness of every patient to create a healing environment that is second to none.

For over 105 years we have worked in partnership with our patients and their families. Our experienced team of healthcare professionals, care givers and support staff are equipped to provide the highest level of therapeutic, medical and surgical services. Our facilities include 15 operating theatres, cardiac procedure rooms and an endoscopy suite, ensuring our staff can work together effectively for your safety, wellbeing and recovery.

Your GP can refer you to one of our respiratory and sleep medicine specialists.

Find details of our respiratory & sleep medicine specialists here

Contact Us

St Vincents Private Hospitals

Respiratory and sleep medicine

Our dedicated respiratory and sleep specialists support people living with conditions that affect their breathing.

Our respiratory and sleep medicine services

Sleep apnoea

Respiratory and sleep medicine

Our dedicated respiratory and sleep specialists support people living with conditions that affect their breathing.

Our respiratory and sleep medicine services

Sleep apnoea

Related services

Thoracic

Ear Nose & Throat (Otolaryngology)

Dermatology

Better and fairer care. Always.