Soft Palate Surgery for OSA: Indication, Techniques, Tips, and Pitfalls (2023 AMW) Session
2023 AAO-HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO Experience
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The pharyngoplasty represents the most performed surgical technique applied in patients affected by sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), especially snoring and ostructive sleep apnea (OSA). In the last 40 years, several modification of the first uvulopharyngopalatoplasty (UPPP) has been proposed as single or combined surgical procedures. There are still multiple confounding parameters for the analysis of the pharyngoplasty outcomes.Starting from the description of the main pharyngoplasty techniques proposed in the specific literature, it will be focus the attention on the main difference between the first technique proposed by Fujita and the last techniques, remarking the importance of the right patient selection as surgical candidate. Finally, there will be introduce the technique, pit and pitfalls of the barbed pharyngoplasty, analyzing the outcome achieved and recently published as personal institutional experience.OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 1: Clarify the main difference of the several pharyngoplasty techniques proposed for OSA surgical treatment, with a detailed description of barbed pharyngoplasty.OUTCOME OBJECTIVE 2: Analyze the right clinical selection of OSA patient candidate for pahryngoplastyOUTCOME OBJECTIVE 3: Analyze and discuss the main limit in reporting the outcomes for palate surgery and, in general, surgical treatment for OSA.BACKGROUND STATEMENT: This topic is in the list of the promoted gap: Surgical challenges and failures in management of OSA.Furthermore, the Author could demonstrate a deep and long experience in the field of diagnosis and therapy of SDB