The Role of Soft-Tissue Surgery of the Tongue in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disease with high morbidity. Narrowing and collapse of the pharyngeal airway during sleep characterize the disease resulting in a decrease or a complete cessation of oronasal airflow. Continuous positive airway pressure is the gold standard and is proven to be very effective. However, due to its rather low adherence and acceptance, alternative treatment options for OSA are necessary. When obstruction of the upper airway (UA) is caused at the level of the tongue base, surgery of the soft tissue of the tongue may be an effective treatment option in OSA. In this review, the aim is to determine and compare the effect of glossectomy, transoral robotic surgery, radiofrequency, tongue suspension, and adjustable tongue advancement techniques in terms of efficacy based on changes in outcome parameters and in terms of complications. UA surgery significantly improves sleep outcomes as part of multi-level surgery in adult patients. Further research on the efficacy of standalone procedure of soft-tissue surgery techniques of the tongue is necessary, in order to gain more evidence of their effectiveness. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.