Surgical procedures

This procedure is used to reposition the jaws and unblock the upper airway. It involves advancing the maxilla and mandible (maxillomandibular advancement) in order to increase the pharyngeal area and facilitate airflow.

It can be performed when a patient has a significantly recessed maxilla or mandible in addition to a recessed facial profile. The maxillofacial surgeon will also assess whether to use this procedure based on the history of the disease, the patient’s motivation and a clinical examination.

According to a meta-analysis conducted by researchers at Stanford University, this surgery has a success rate of more than 85 % [1] in patients with severe sleep apnea.

This surgical procedure clears the airway by removing the uvula, soft tissue from the palate and back of the throat, and tonsils if present. This area of the upper airway is where the obstruction occurs in the majority of patients with sleep apnea.

By removing these vibrating tissues, UPPP helps eliminate snoring, but does not always prevent the throat from collapsing. Its success rate for treating apnea is about 40%. Widely used over the past 25 years, this procedure is increasingly being replaced by less invasive methods.

The tonsils and adenoids are lymphatic tissues in the throat. When they are large or swollen, which happens more often in children, they can block airflow and cause obstructive sleep apnea.

In such cases, an ENT specialist may recommend removing the tonsils and/or adenoids. A tonsillectomy and an adenoidectomy are the most common procedures to treat children with obstructive sleep apnea.