Sleep apnea surgery: putting it all together.

Since the first description of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) in 1972, the surgical management of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) has become increasingly popular. This popularity is caused by several reasons. The psychomotor sequelae of OSA, such as excessive daytime sleepiness, daytime fatigue, and poor sleep quality caused by sleep fragmentation, have major deleterious impact on patients' well being, which behooves them to seek treatment. The risk of hypertension, heart attack, and stroke also prompts patients to seek treatment. Further, despite the potential success of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), patients' compliance represents a clear problem, thus causing patients to seek treatment alternatives, namely surgery. All surgeons treating patients who have OSA must realize that the management of OSA crosses specialty lines and no single specialty can adequately take care of patients alone.