title: Endoscope-guided coblator tongue base resection using an endoscope-holding system for obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multilevel obstruction in obstructive sleep apnea commonly includes retroglossal obstruction. To improve surgical success rates, tongue volume reduction with posterior midline glossectomy and/or lingual tonsillectomy is widely performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nasotracheal intubation was utilized, and the combined tongue procedure was performed as a final step after palatal surgery. The tongue was pulled maximally by a retraction suture and a McIVOR (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany) or Davis mouth gag (Karl Storz,Tuttlingen, Germany), and a medium-length tongue blade was applied to expose the tongue base. A 70-degree rigid endoscope was fixed by the holding system and introduced into the oral cavity. Endoscope-guided coblator tongue base resection was then performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The surgeon could use both hands for the surgery, enabling a more delicate resection of tongue base tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This technique was acceptable and can be successfully used in patients with a large tongue, in whom exposing the tongue base for surgery is difficult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|The Airway Mucus Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Do-Yang
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyo Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jeung-Gweon
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|The Airway Mucus Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Hoon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D019723:Endoscopes; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005927:Glossectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000601:surgery*; D014059:Tongue / Q000601:surgery*; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000379:methods*
keywords: coblator; endoscope; holder; sleep apnea; tongue base