Abstract
The prevalence of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is relatively high, with SAS patients said to comprise 3.3% of males and 0.5% of females in Japan, and nearly 4% of males and nearly 2% of females in the United States. The habitual snoring associated with SAS is said to be a symptom of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
The primary sites of obstruction are usually the nasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx, within the scope of otolaryngology. For the treatment of SAS, a knowledge of the sites and types of obstruction and proper choice of the most suitable treatment method from among the surgical (PPDS, UPPP, etc.) and conservative (NCPAP, etc.) treatments available are said to be the most important. As otolaryngologists, we are in a neutral position regarding making such choices, however, as surgeons, we tend to select surgery over conservative treatment.
For OSAS patients with an advanced age, marked disease complications, and severe obesity, and UPPP surgery failure cases, we should choose conservative instead of surgical treatment. The most important point is that we provide the most suitable treatment method for each OSAS patient.
