Sleep disorders have a significant impact on people's health, wellbeing and quality of life. In addition to affecting rest, they may be associated with cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, metabolic and mental health conditions, meaning that their assessment often requires the coordinated involvement of different medical specialists.
For this reason, Hospital Quirónsalud Marbella has a Multidisciplinary Sleep Disorders Unit, coordinated by specialists in Pulmonology, Otorhinolaryngology (ENT), Neurophysiology and Neurology, who work together to provide a comprehensive approach to sleep-related conditions, from diagnosis through to treatment and ongoing follow-up for each patient.
The incorporation of Clinical Neurophysiology and Neurology represents a further step in the development of this Unit, which already has extensive experience in the management of sleep-related breathing disorders thanks to the long-standing collaborative work of the ENT and Pulmonology departments. This expansion broadens its diagnostic capabilities to encompass a wider range of sleep disorders and enables an even more comprehensive assessment of each patient.
The Unit offers a range of diagnostic and therapeutic resources for the comprehensive assessment of sleep disorders, including hospital-based overnight polysomnography, regarded as the gold-standard test for the complete analysis of sleep.
The Unit cares for both adult and paediatric patients, including the specialist assessment of sleep-related breathing disorders in children. Patients frequently present with symptoms such as loud snoring, pauses in breathing during sleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, unrefreshing sleep, persistent insomnia, involuntary movements during sleep or unusual behaviours while asleep.
The Unit is also able to diagnose and treat conditions including obstructive sleep apnoea, narcolepsy, hypersomnias, restless legs syndrome, parasomnias, REM sleep behaviour disorder, nocturnal epilepsy and circadian rhythm disorders.
Tailored diagnosis for every patient
The Multidisciplinary Sleep Disorders Unit has a range of diagnostic tools that allow each case to be assessed individually. These include sleep respiratory studies carried out by the Pulmonology and ENT departments, as well as full overnight polysomnography, considered the reference standard for the comprehensive study of sleep.
Polysomnography is performed overnight in hospital and simultaneously records parameters such as brain activity, eye movements, muscle activity, heart rate, breathing patterns and blood oxygen levels, providing a detailed assessment of sleep architecture and quality.
A multidisciplinary approach
Dr Carmen Gutiérrez, Clinical Neurophysiology specialist at Quirónsalud Marbella and Córdoba hospitals, explains:
"Polysomnography allows us to observe what happens in the body while the patient is asleep. We simultaneously study brain activity, the different stages of sleep, eye and muscle movements, breathing, oxygenation and cardiac activity, giving us an overall picture of sleep quality and structure. However, the real value lies not only in having access to a highly comprehensive test, but in knowing which study each patient requires and interpreting the results within their clinical context."
From a neurological perspective, Dr Ziba Ghazizadeh Monfared, Neurophysiology specialist, highlights:
"Many neurological sleep disorders remain undiagnosed for years because their symptoms are often mistaken for tiredness, stress or poor sleep. Appropriate assessment allows us to identify the underlying cause and significantly improve patients’ quality of life."
Dr José María Ignacio García, Head of the Pulmonology Department, points out:
"Sleep-related breathing disorders, particularly obstructive sleep apnoea, are among the most common conditions and remain significantly underdiagnosed. Having access to different diagnostic tools allows us to tailor investigations to each patient’s characteristics and needs."
One of the Unit’s greatest strengths is the close coordination between the different specialties involved in the study of sleep disorders. Following an initial assessment, a personalised diagnostic pathway is established to determine which specialists and investigations should be involved in order to reach an accurate diagnosis and define the most appropriate treatment plan.
Dr Carlos O'Connor, Head of the ENT Department, adds:
"The incorporation of new specialties represents a significant step forward for a Unit that has been working collaboratively for years in the management of sleep-related breathing disorders. Sleep must be approached from a multidisciplinary perspective, because the same symptom may be linked to respiratory, anatomical, functional or neurological factors requiring individualised assessment."
The Unit offers a wide range of treatment options, including lifestyle and dietary measures, myofunctional therapy, positional therapy, mandibular advancement devices, CPAP and BiPAP therapy, upper airway surgery, hypoglossal nerve stimulation, and specialist treatments for neurological sleep disorders. This enables the design of personalised therapeutic strategies tailored to each patient’s clinical characteristics.
This multidisciplinary model of care allows Pulmonology, ENT, Neurophysiology and Neurology specialists to work together to improve patients’ sleep quality, health and overall quality of life.
