Updated Minimally Invasive Surgery for Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders

Sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBD) consist of a variety of clinical entities, ranging from primary snoring to severe obstructive sleep apnoea at the opposite extreme. Although it has no official definition, minimally invasive surgery infers surgery where the procedure is clinically less aggressive and may involve a much smaller incision or none at all. It also implies that such procedures may result in a quicker recovery and reduced morbidity, and that they are often conducted under local anaesthesia as day cases. Minimally invasive surgery in SRBD may be performed on its own or may be conducted in conjunction with other surgical procedures or in association with non-surgical treatment modalities such as oral appliances. Indeed, it may be considered in patients experiencing difficulty tolerating treatment with continuous positive airway pressure. This is with a view to improving the upper airway dimensions and thus reducing the pressure requirement with this type of treatment modality, hence improving its compliance and efficacy. Here we address the role of minimally invasive surgery in SRBD within various anatomical regions of the upper airway, namely the nose, soft palate, and the tongue.