Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, other than with continuous positive airway pressure

Treatment, other than with continuous positive airway pressure, for patients with obstructive sleep apnea remains an active area of investigation. The long-established behavior modification approaches (eg, weight loss and avoidance of alcohol and sedatives) are applicable to many patients, though unlikely to be curative. Oral appliances and surgical techniques are used, although treatment success is hindered by the site-specific nature of the therapies. These treatments are traditionally used for the patient with mild sleep apnea, but more recent studies are questioning their possible benefits in a moderate-to-severe apnea patient population. Surgical techniques range from uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and more extensive skeletal modifications (maxillomandibular advancement), to laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty and newer minimally invasive techniques. Preoperative evaluation, patient selection, and measures of success vary somewhat between publications, making comparison of treatments and their application to the individual patient challenging.