Minimally invasive tongue base surgery for XXXX .

@entity1 @entity1739 @entity27
Moderate to severe @entity27 is usually associated with multiple levels of pharyngeal airway collapse, including tongue base obstruction. A new technique has recently been introduced that improves the nocturnal retro-lingual airway. This study was a prospective, non-randomized single-institution evaluation of a recently introduced surgical technique. Nineteen consecutive @entity1 with previously untreated moderate to severe @entity27 underwent tongue suspension using the Respose system and concomitant palatopharyngoplasty (multilevel pharyngeal surgery). The @entity1 demographics and treatment outcomes were prospectively collected and retrospectively analysed. There were 16 @entity1 and three @entity1 , with a mean (+/-SD) age of 44.9 years (+/- 14.2) and a mean pre-operative apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) of 42.8 +/- 24.8. Twelve of the 19 @entity1 (63.2 per cent) have had post-operative polysomnography; eight of these 12 (67 per cent) met the standard criteria for surgical response. Among these eight @entity1 , the AHI improved from 32.4 to 14.4 (p<0.01); the individual scores fell by a mean of 51.7 per cent. The apnoea index improved from 7.4 to 0.9 (p<0.01), with the individual scores falling by a mean of 81.4 per cent. There was anatomic and radiographic evidence of multilevel upper airway enlargement. Notably, the body mass index remained essentially unchanged (31.5 +/- 7.2 to 31.2 +/- 7.6, p>0.5). Subjectively, the mean Epworth sleepiness scale score fell from 11.0 +/- 5.4 to 5.4 +/- 3.8 (p<0.005). Four @entity1 suffered transient @entity1739 , and two @entity1 complained of limited anterior excursion of the tongue. There were no serious, long-term complications. The tongue suspension procedure represents a minimally invasive technique for improving the nocturnal retro-lingual airway in @entity1 with @entity27 . It is easily performed by otolaryngologists, distinguishing it from other established techniques designed to address tongue base obstruction.
