Surgical Treatments for Sleep Apnea

There is no one treatment for sleep apnea. Options include external appliance usage or surgical interventions. External appliances include continuous positive pressure machines and mouthpieces. Surgery can sometimes alleviate the need for the use of appliances. Most of them are done as outpatient and have short recovery times. A doctor will explain possible causes for the patient's sleep apnea and suggest the correct appliance or surgery. If surgery is suggested, there are several used to improve or correct sleep apnea.

Nasal, Septal and Adnoid surgery reconstructs deviated septums, shrinks turbinates, and widens nasal passages. Turbinates are ridges in the nose and may become enlarged by allergies or other irritants.

UPPP and Tonsillectomy is a surgery that will either partially remove the uvula, completely remove the tonsils, or both. The uvula is the little hanging down thing in the rear of the mouth. By partially removing it the soft palate will shorten, creating a larger area in the back of the throat.

GGA is short for Genio-Glossus Advancement. During this surgery the front tongue tendon is shortened and tightened. This holds the tongue forward more and helps prevent it from falling back during sleep and blocking the airway. It also makes the space between the back of the tongue and throat wider and enhancing airspace.

Hyoid Suspension will reposition the hyoid bone in order to open the breathing passage. The Hyoid is also known as the Adam's Apple. The procedure brings the epiglottis and tongue base forward, increasing airway size. This surgery does not involve the vocal cords and should not affect the voice.

MMA (Maxillo-mandibular Advancement) is where both jaws are moved forward. This is one of the most major sleep apnea surgeries and may involve wiring the jaw shut for a short period of time after surgery. It will change the appearance of the individual, but never adversely. Many times it actually enhances a person's features.

A Tracheotomy is the last resort for most. If CPAP or other interventions do not correct the sleep apnea, a tracheotomy will be discussed. Under certain circumstances, like cardiopulmonary failure, a tracheotomy will be the initial treatment. A patient can still talk with the tracheotomy if they plug the air hole and they can still breath if the hole is plugged while awake. The tracheotomy opening should never be left plugged while sleeping or it won't function properly.

Soft Palate Revision for Sleep Apnea

Somnoplasty is a relatively new procedure. It involves sending electrical currents to the targeted enlarged tissue. Over a period of 2 months the treated tissue will stiffen. A patient may need this done several time to get complete relief of symptoms. Somnoplasty can be done in an office setting and the recovery time is minimal

LAUP - Laser assisted Uvulopalatoplasty, removes extra tissue from the uvula and soft palate with a laser over the course of several appointments until snoring has been decreased or no more tissue can be removed. This can be done in most offices under a local anesthesia.

Other soft palate revisions used for sleep apnea are the palate stiffening procedures. Some of these surgeries involve creating scar tissue that will function as rigid splints. Another stiffening surgery uses implants to create firmness of the soft palate which should keep it from collapsing during sleep. The implants are synthetic fibers that are placed midline to, and parallel to the midline of, the soft palate. Three implant are inserted with a hollow needle under a local anesthesia. They can be removed with relative ease if necessary.

Sleep apnea can be cured by some surgeries. Sometimes surgery will improve the condition for a while, then the symptoms will reoccur, requiring a repeat surgery. Unfortunately most doctors aren't issued a crystal ball license, so they cannot tell if a surgery will work on a particular patient until it is tried. If a patient wants possible freedom from the external appliances, and they can afford the cost, surgery is a viable option.

Important: The information presented on this page and other pages on this site is based upon the opinions of the author and on the author's interpretation of published reports and articles. It is not intended to replace your relationship with a qualified health care professional, and is not intended as medical advice.

The author encourages you to make your own health care decisions in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

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