Diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea. A multidisciplinary approach

Snoring has been shown to be the primary sign of a potentially serious medical condition, ie, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Traditionally, the otolaryngologist has been the primary medical resource for patients with snoring problems. However, until recently, little was known about the now-acknowledged serious complications of this phenomenon. Of the primary treatments for this condition, those most commonly utilized to date involve surgical procedures routinely performed by the otolaryngologist, ie, tracheostomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. Thus, the practicing otolaryngologist has been thrust into the forefront in the diagnosis and management of OSA. Hence, it behooves the modern practitioner to be cognizant of the multidisciplinary approach to this problem. Herein, we review snoring as a medical problem, sleep laboratory studies of patients with OSA, and the interaction of multidisciplinary team members in the optimal management of this ubiquitous problem.