[Surgical treatment of snoring: principle and technic]

Surgical treatment of snoring requires suppression both of the obstacle responsible for the nocturnal respiratory noise but also of the chronic hypoxia on which the sleep of these patients is grafted. The soft palate and its appendages (uvula and tonsillar pillars) are always involved. Precise definition of extent of palatal resection ensures success of operation and avoidance of nasal regurgitation of food or rhinolalia postoperatively. Nasal ventilation must be normal; a septoplasty is sometimes unavoidable and postoperative medical treatment of rhinitis necessary. The pharyngeal lumen must be as wide as possible and tonsillectomy is sometimes required. Indications for these three stages : palatal, nasal and pharyngeal are described, omitting details of maxillary osteotomies capable of improving certain major retrognathies since these are only exceptionally indicated. Details of anesthetic requirements are emphasized and results obtained described.