title: Tongue base suspension combined with UPPP in severe OSA patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tongue base surgery in the severe OSA patients may improve the success of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) as the collapse is multilevel. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term objective and subjective effectiveness of the minimally invasive tongue base suspension combined with UPPP in severe OSA patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis of 22 OSA patients undergoing UPPP and the tongue base suspension for the treatment of severe OSA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two men who had their preoperative and postoperative polysomnography had a 54% reduction in the preoperative Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI), from 47.50 +/- 15.74 to a level of 17.31 +/- 14.17. The standard surgical cure rate which is a >50% reduction in the RDI and a postoperative RDI of <20 events/hour was 81.81%. All patients had some degree of subjective improvement in their snoring, daytime sleepiness, and the Epworth sleepiness scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tongue base suspension combined with UPPP has been shown to reduce RDI better than UPPP alone. This minimally invasive technique is highly successful at 81.81% when combined with UPPP in the severe OSA patients with multilevel airway collapse.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows the benefits of minimally invasive tongue base suspension combined with UPPP in severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
authors.affiliation: ME-DI ENT Center, Istanbul, Turkey. m.omur@ktv.ttnet.net.tr
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Omur
authors.forename: Dilaver
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozturan
authors.forename: Feyzi
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Elez
authors.forename: Celal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Unver
authors.forename: Sabri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Derman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000601:surgery*; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014059:Tongue / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014609:Uvula / Q000601:surgery*