Eustachian Tube Function
Key points • The fibrocartilaginous eustachian tube is part of a system of contiguous organs including the nose, palate, rhinopharynx, and middle ear cleft. • It is not a simple…
OTOLARYNGOLOGY
Endoscopic Anatomy of the Protympanum
The protympanum, a final common pathway between the tympanic cavity and external environment, is gaining relevance due to the ease and completeness of visualization with angled endoscopes. Two primary conformations…
Anatomy of the Eustachian Tube
Key points • The opening of the eustachian tube, provided by the contraction of the tensor veli palatini muscle, is limited to Rüdinger safety canal. • The contraction of the…
The Eustachian Tube Redefined
It consists of two parts: the first solidly connected with the temporal bone, close to the tympanic cavity; the second soft, partly ligamentous, partly cartilaginous, directed towards the nasopharynx. Since…
Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy
Traditional upper airway surgery directly modifies skeletal and soft tissue structures surrounding the airway to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Upper airway stimulation (UAS) attempts to treat upper airway obstruction…
Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Screening for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with in-laboratory polysomnography is recommended for children with sleep disordered breathing. Adenotonsillectomy is the first-line therapy for pediatric OSA, although intranasal steroids and montelukast…
Skeletal Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Multilevel surgery has been established as the mainstay of treatment for the surgical management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Combined with uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, tongue-base surgeries, including the genioglossus advancement (GA), sliding…
Genioglossal Advancement, Hyoid Suspension, Tongue Base Radiofrequency, and Endoscopic Partial Midline Glossectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Surgical intervention for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a complex topic. The discussion involves intricate procedures targeting specific areas of the upper airway. Because of the wide variety of physiologic…
Transoral Robotic Partial Glossectomy and Supraglottoplasty for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Key points • The standard treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy (continuous PAP, bilevel PAP, auto titrating CPAP). • Alternative therapies for…
