Lateral pharyngoplasty in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea

The lateral pharyngeal wall has been well documented to be the cause of collapse in many patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The inability to correct this disorder is a cause of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty failure using traditional techniques. A technique termed lateral pharyngoplasty is a procedure to address the lateral pharyngeal wall collapse in patients with OSA. The technique consists of microdissection of the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscle within the tonsillar fossa, sectioning of this muscle, and suturing of the created laterally based flap of that muscle to the same-side palatoglossus muscle. The preliminary results are promising and side effects minimal. This procedure can be performed alone or as part of the multilevel surgical algorithm in the treatment of OSA.