Upper Airway Surgery for Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Sleep Apnea?

Many patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are unable or unwilling to use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or mandibular advancement devices. In this study, researchers identified 102 adults with moderate-to-severe OSA who had not tolerated or refused CPAP or mandibular advancement and randomized them to receive upper airway surgery or general medical management; mean age was 44, and mean body-mass index was 30 kg/m². Patients with medical or psychiatric comorbidities, pregnancy, high anesthetic risk, or surgical contraindications were excluded. Surgical patients underwent uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and tongue-reduction procedures. Patients in the medical-management group received treatment that focused on weight loss, alcoho…