Obstructive sleep apnea affects the way you breathe when you’re asleep. If it stays untreated, breathing is interrupted up to hundreds of times for 10-20 seconds and becomes very shallow during night's rest. Consequently, you spend most of the time in light sleep not in deep restorative sleep which you need to be mentally sharp and productive during the next day.

Sleep apnea affects people health and puts it in serious danger. Sometimes surgery is the only way out. Aimed at correcting obstructions in the airway passage, surgeries allow to eliminate the dangers of sleep apnea. Surgical operations may involve the correction of jaws, soft palate, tongue, tonsils, adenoids, etc. Some surgeries are developed to treat minor cases and some are normally done to treat severe and moderate ones.

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Here are just some of the surgical options, which can be performed depending on diagnostics:

 

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). UPPP allows to remove the tissue from the back of the throat that causes obstruction. It may include some parts of the soft palate, tonsils/adenoids, uvula, and throat tissue.

 

Tracheostomy. The procedure implies making a hole in the neck to the trachea and inserting a tube in the opening. The tube allows for free air flowing during night’s sleep.

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Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA). This surgery allows for repositioning of upper/ lower jawbone forward. Though, this procedure may significantly change facial expression, it has proved to be very effective.