Palatopharyngoplasty for the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: technique and preliminary report of results of ten patients.

The sleep apnea syndrome is characterized by very loud snoring associated with apneic episodes during sleep. Electromyographic studies have shown loss of tone of the tongue and pharyngeal muscles during the apneic episodes. Fiberoptic endoscopic studies have pinpointed the site of the obstruction at the oropharynx. Until now, the only proven effective treatment has been tracheostomy. Ten patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome have been effectively treated by palatopharyngoplasty. The technique is described. It is simple, and results are immediate and dramatic.