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Otorinolaringologia 2006 June;56(2):65-71

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Palatal surgery for obstructive sleep apnea: classification criteria

Eibenstein A., Fioretti A. B., Tosoni S., Fusetti M.

Dipartimento Scienze Chirurgiche Otorinolaringoiatria Università dell’Aquila, L’Aquila

In the last years many surgical palatal techniques are proposed for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). It is well known that the oropharynx plays an important role in the obstruction of the upper airways. A successful therapeutic concept should provide a palatal correction to treat the airways narrowing, to improve the sleep quality and to reduce oxygen desaturation and cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate different surgical techniques to identify the more effective one according to the palatal obstruction and its anatomical variations