Diagnosis and Treatment of Upper Airway Obstruction in Sleep Apnea Patients

Learning Objectives – Identify and surgically treat upper airway obstruction

- The 3 areas of upper airway obstruction: nose, oral cavity, oropharyngeal area
- Facial morphological type (high occlusal plane angle) -- most common for sleep apnea
- Nasal obstruction; deviated septum, hypertrophic turbinates, narrow nostrils, etc.
- Oral cavity; narrow arches, retruded maxilla/mandible, tori, macroglossia, etc.
- Oropharynx; decreased airway; hyperplastic soft palate, tonsils, adenoids, etc.
- TMJ pathology – a common cause of mandibular retrusion and sleep apnea
- Surgical treatment of nasal, oral, and oropharyngeal airway obstruction
- Counter-clockwise rotation of the maxillo-mandibular complex to treat sleep apnea
- Concomitant TMJ, orthognathic surgery, and adjunctive procedures for correction of upper airway obstruction and sleep apnea