[Surgery and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: indications and precautions]

Surgery has long been a therapeutic option for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The first procedures targeted the soft palate but results of isolated uvulo-palatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) were inconstant. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in pharyngeal collapse incited interest in the role of the tongue and the retropharyngeal space. Surgical procedures were then developed for this level of the upper airways. There are a large number of possibilities. Excepting tracheostomy which court-circuits the collapsed zone, all the other procedures are designed to widen more or less one or more of the upper airway levels. The target can be the nose, the soft palate or the tongue, alone or in combinations. In all cases, the surgical alternative should be balanced against a non-invasive option: continuous positive pressure ventilation. The objective is to minimize the operative risks and sequelae while assuring success equivalent to positive pressure ventilation. It is important to note that sufficiently effective and permanent results have not been proven for any surgical technique, excepting tracheostomy and to a lesser degree bimaxillary advancement osteotomy, due to the lack of objective long-term rigorous evaluation. A considerable effort must be made in this domain.