[Sleep apnea syndrome, snoring and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty]

Sleep-related closure of the upper airways is the key feature of the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). Excessive daytime sleepiness and loud snoring are the major signs. It is not possible to differentiate patients with the single complaint of habitual snoring from patients with sleep apnoea by their history alone; polysomnography is a mandatory procedure. Recently, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) has been introduced as a surgical procedure to treat OSAS and excessive snoring. This paper presents the results of UPPP in eleven patients evaluated by means of postoperative polysomnography.