Surgical treatment of snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract

Snoring has plagued individuals and societies for centuries. It is just within the past few decades that it was recognized as a sign of a more serious illness of sleep-disordered breathing known as sleep apnea [1–7]. Recent understanding of the pathophysiology of snoring, daytime sleepiness, restless sleep, and obstructive sleep apnea has allowed for successful treatment involving both nonsurgical and surgical intervention [8–11]. The nonsurgical management of snoring includes exercise, weight loss, decreased alcohol consumption, smoking cessation, altered sleeping position, and dental or nasal appliances [12]. Patient compliance has persistently been the drawback in these types of management. Major studies shows that over half the patients will not follow the conservative treatment for an extended period or patients do not obtain sufficient relief from their snoring with conservative methods and look for surgical modalities to correct their problem. In this article, we look at several surgical modalities to treat snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea. The surgical goal should be to find a simple, safe, effective, and economical surgical procedure, which benefits the patient and allows a speedy recovery and return to normal daily activities. During the past several decades, a variety of methods have been advocated for treatment of snoring and mild sleep apnea. No single procedure has been proven to have the ideals that justify its sole use over others. In order to choose an appropriate method of treatment, we must first review the pathophysiology of snoring and sleep apnea. Pathophysiology of snoring and sleep apnea