In mild obstructive sleep apnea, treatment of symptomatic outcomes with RFTVR may be an alternative to CPAP.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is caused by narrowing of the pharyngeal airway and loss of dilator tone during sleep. In patients with severe apnea surgical correction often requires attention to both the oropharynx and hypopharynx. Tongue reduction surgery has been described for persistent apnea after failure of palatal surgery. We describe our experience with midline glossectomy with epiglottidectomy in 12 patients with a mean age of 48.8 +/- 14.2 years and body mass index of 36.0 +/- 8.8 kg/m2. Response to treatment was defined as a postoperative respiratory disturbance index (RDI) below 20. Three patients (25%) responded to treatment. The mean apnea index decreased from 48.9 to 35.7, RDI decreased from 73.3 to 46.6, and lowest oxygen saturation increased from 65.9 to 77.9%. RDI in responders decreased from 69.7 to 10. Midline glossectomy with epiglottidectomy has variable results, yet is effective in selected patients with hypopharyngeal narrowing related to macroglossia.

We conducted a retrospective review of 347 consecutive patients who underwent surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. We analyzed perioperative data to identify the nature and rate of complications in an attempt to determine whether intensive care unit monitoring is needed after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) and associated procedures including septoplasty, tonsillectomy, turbinate reduction, geniohyoid advancement, and tracheostomy. In the 347 cases, 14 complications occurred (4%), including 5 involving the airway, 5 postoperative hemorrhages, and 4 complications classed as "other," including dehiscence of a tracheostomy flap, abdominal ileus, urine retention, and increased creatinine concentration. We found no difference between preoperative lowest oxygen saturation and oxygen-saturation readings in the postoperative period and no correlation between complication rate and apnea severity. An association was detected between multiple simultaneous procedures and the development of complications: 50% of the patients in whom complications developed had undergone nasal procedures along with UPPP, compared with only 15% of the patients without complications. Except for one patient, all complications that occurred on the surgical ward were treated without transfer to the intensive care unit. Although surgery on the upper airway must be performed with caution in patients with sleep apnea, our findings suggest that UPPP is a safe procedure and that postoperative monitoring in an intensive care setting is not necessary for most patients.

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) can reduce snoring by sequentially removing excessive vibratory tissue of the velopharynx. The procedure can be performed under local anesthesia in an office setting. Since the appearance of the soft palate is similar after both LAUP and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, LAUP may also be efficacious in the management of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). LAUP was performed in 34 consecutive prospectively evaluated patients with OSAS. Of the 34 patients, 28 (82%) were male; the mean age was 53 years, and the mean body mass index was 31.1. In the study population of 13 patients who completed preoperative and postoperative sleep studies, the apnea index decreased from 19.4 to 4.2 (P = .006), the respiratory disturbance index (RDI) decreased from 31.2 to 15.7 (P = .092), and mean lowest oxyhemoglobin saturation increased from 82.3% to 85.0% (P = .581). The RDI fell to 10 or lower in 38.5% of patients and was reduced by at least 50% in 53.8% of the study group. Snoring was significantly reduced in 92.3% of patients (P < .001). These early results suggest that LAUP may be efficacious in the management of OSAS.

A pharyngeal suspension suture changes subjective outcomes. Improvement is incomplete. The procedure is nonexcisional, but significant complications may occur. Further evaluation is required to demonstrate effectiveness.