Glossoepiglottopexy

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects around 20% of the population, and presents potentially life-threatening consequences because of its reported association with cardiovascular events, neurocognitive impairments, and strokes. The treatment of the OSA is still a matter of debate, but the scientific community is inclined to declare that the most effective treatment to manage the upper airway collapse in the OSA syndrome is the use of continuous positive airway pressure (cPAP). Nonetheless, the most recent scientific literature reports that about 12% of patients using the cPAP do not benefit from its use. In this regard, surgery has been developed to have a role in those case where the cPAP therapy fails to restore a normal apnea-hypopnea index or in those patients who are not willing to receive this treatment. In most cases, primary collapse of the epiglottis is responsible for the failure of use of the cPAP. The surgical technique called glossoepiglottopexy (GEP) is a safe and reliable procedure for treatment of collapse of the epiglottis in OSA patients. This surgical technique provides a stable support to the epiglottis without influencing its function during swallowing, thanks to the preservation of anatomy and physiology of the larynx.