Home sleep studies, automatic positive air pressure machines, varied surgical procedures spur physicians to explore non-traditonal options

Otolaryngologists discuss pros and cons of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, relocation and lateral pharyngoplasty, Z-palatoplasty, and other surgical procedures for OSA at the 2013 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Annual Meeting
Can risk factors for oxygen desaturation be predictors for post-operative apneic death in pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients?
While there is no evidence that nasal surgery alone will improve objective measures of OSA, patients experience subjectively better sleep and quality of life following corrective nasal surgery
Overnight monitoring is advised for patients with higher preoperative apneic indices, and/or cardiovascular comorbidities, and those undergoing tongue base surgery who may be at higher risk for respiratory complications
American Academy of Sleep Medicine develops new scoring rule for hypopneas.
Symptom and quality of life measures such as patient-recorded outcomes may be better ways to gauge the success of OSA surgery than the reduction of a patient’s apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), say otolaryngologists
Simulator training can accelerate resident learning; FDG-PET indicative of hypoxic status; laryngeal visualization in dysphonic patients superior to HPE alone; pillar implant improves snoring and some OSA; role of frontal sinus surgery in nasal polyp recurrence; aging population changes frequency, disease types seen by otolaryngology
Before determining the need for tonsillectomy, it is highly beneficial to refer children with sleep-disordered breathing for polysomnography (PSG)
Polysomnography (PSG) has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics as the gold standard for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) versus mild sleep disordered breathing (SDB) prior to tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T+A) in children. Mild SDB includes primary snoring and upper airway resistance syndrome. Controversy exists regarding the accuracy of history and physical exam (H+P) alone in children for the diagnosis of OSA versus mild SDB prior to T+A. Thus, PSG has been recommended to confirm the diagnosis