Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disease characterized by intermittent and repetitive narrowing of the airway during sleep. Surgical therapies for the treatment of OSA aim to improve airway patency by addressing selected site(s) of obstruction. Because several areas may each be responsible for the narrowing, different surgical modalities have also been developed. In this review, we give an overview of surgery for each of potential obstruction site(s). As a consequence of the multi-factorial and heterogeneous etiology of OSA, surgical therapies need to be selected and performed specifically for each patient, as there is no perfect surgery that will fit all patients. As with any other treatment modalities for OSA, surgical therapies have variable efficacy, but are a very important tool on OSA management in selected patients and have been shown effectiveness in decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with the disease.

View details for DOI 10.1007/s13311-012-0141-x

View details for Web of Science ID 000310325000004

View details for PubMedID 22915293

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC3480570