1 Introduction Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) encompasses a spectrum of conditions, including socially unacceptable snoring (SUS) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Whereas SUS is mostly debilitating in social circumstances, OSAS and its complications pose a major health problem for society.…
1 Introduction Severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is preferably treated by nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP). Unfortunately, 30% to 50% of patients refuse or cannot accept NCPAP for a variety of reasons. Approximately 25% of patients refuse it…
1 Introduction 1.2 Indications and Contraindications Obstruction of the airway at the retropalatinal and retropharyngeal airway is the key factor in the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). Patient selection is crucial in successful surgery of the upper airway…
1 Introduction Arguably, the goal of treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is (1) elimination or improvement of symptoms, (2) normalization or improvement of sleep study parameters, and (3) cardiovascular risk reduction in the longer term. The latter is especially…
1 Introduction Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) was introduced by Croft and Pringle in 1991 and over time has increased in popularity and is applied worldwide. The evaluation requires pharmacologic induction of sedation and flexible fiber-optic endoscopy to visualize upper airway…