[Surgical treatment of obstructive sleep-apnoea syndrome]

Abstract

5 patients, 4 males aged 41, 32, 52 and 49 years and 1 female aged 57 years, suffered from socially unacceptable snoring and hypersomnolence in the daytime. They were evaluated for obstructive sleep-apnoea syndrome. After polysomnography and sleep endoscopy was performed to establish the severity of the sleep-apnoea syndrome and the level(s) of upper airway obstruction, a patient-specific treatment was performed. Conservative therapy with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) was refused by 4 patients, while 1 patient discontinued therapy after complaints of nose obstruction. This patient underwent radiofrequency thermotherapy (RFTT) of the inferior turbinates. The other patients underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), RFTT of the soft palate, hyoidthyroidpexia (HTP) and 'multilevel' surgery: UPPP, HTP and RFTT of the tongue base, respectively. All patients showed improvement after surgery. Although its longterm effects are not yet known, surgical treatment is an option for patients with obstructive sleep-apnoea syndrome who cannot or will not undergo CPAP.