1 Introduction Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is a surgical procedure for the treatment of snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome. LAUP involves the use of a surgical laser to sequentially…
1 Introduction The nasal valve is defined as the flow-limiting segment of the nasal airway, located at the triangular aperture between the upper lateral cartilage and the septum. The angle…
1 Introduction A vast array of choices is available to the otolaryngologist to treat simple snoring. The majority of these procedures function via the principle of palatal stiffening in which…
1 Introduction Difficulty breathing through the nose is one of the most frequent complaints presented to an otolaryngologist. Nasal septal deviation and turbinate hypertrophy are easily identified as areas of…
1 Introduction Sleep-disordered breathing and snoring are exceedingly common presentations to physicians. In general, the etiology is highly variable from base of tongue obstruction, laryngomalacia, retrognathia, or weak pharyngeal muscle…
1 Introduction The inferior turbinate is the largest of the three paired turbinates and plays a large role in humidifying and filtering air, as well as directing airflow through the…
1 Nasal Obstruction and Sleep-Disordered Breathing The link between nasal airway obstruction (NAO) and restless sleep has been known since antiquity: Hippocrates reported an association between poor sleep and nasal…
Consideration of the complex relationship between sites of airway obstruction is paramount to choosing the correct surgical approach to treatment. Selecting patients who are likely to respond to surgery necessitates…
Effective surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) must be designed to eliminate collapsible soft tissue in the upper airway without interfering with normal function. Creation of a noncollapsible…
1 Introduction It is widely accepted that particular mouth and tongue positions affect patency of the upper airway. Specifically, mouth opening is believed to decrease the cross-sectional area, whereas tongue…
