Suspension sutures for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring

Treatment of airway collapse in the retrolingual airway for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and snoring has been a frequently frustrating exercise. There are several procedures that have been used with varying degrees of success for some time. These procedures include genioglossus advancement and hyoid suspension, as well as various forms of lingual plasty and lingual reduction. A new technique was introduced at the 1998 meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in San Antonio that consisted of using a suspension screw to support the hypopharyngeal soft tissues, specifically, the base of the tongue, to prevent its posterior displacement during sleep. Some of the initial results of these studies have been promising and are reviewed here.