Palate surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

What is Palate Surgery?

There are a few different options for treating this area. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty removes the tonsils, trims the palate so it arches higher up, and trims or removes the uvula. Expansion Pharyngoplasty removes the tonsils and uses sutures to move a muscle in the outer aspect of the palate and throat, the palatopharyngeus muscle, so that the palate is moved forward and outward. Lateral Pharyngoplasty moving muscles of the roof of the mouth to open the outer walls of the back of the throat. Your surgeon will discuss exactly what surgery is planned for you.

When is this recommended?

Surgery is recommended for people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) caused by excess tissue in the back of the throat, usually when conservative treatments like lifestyle changes and CPAP therapy have not been effective or are poorly tolerated. Surgery is for patients whose blockage during sleep is primarily due to excess soft palate tissue.

What should I expect from this procedure?

You will be put to sleep for the procedure under general anesthesia. You may need to stay overnight in the hospital for observation.

What are the risks?

The biggest risk is bleeding after surgery which can occur immediately after or a week after surgery. Sometimes the bleeding may require another surgery to control. There is a risk of persistent swallowing problems although this is uncommon. Voice changes can occur after the surgery since we are changing the structure of your throat. Other rare complications include scarring, infection, damage to teeth, complications of anesthesia and numbness of the throat or altered sense of taste

What should I expect after surgery?

You should expect to have a very sore throat after surgery. Discomfort usually increases after 48 hours and lasts for several days. Ear pain may develop after palate surgery as a result of referred pain from the throat muscles. Swallowing may be difficult at first. Sometimes food may come up into your nose, this will not happen long term and will improve over time. There may be a bad odor coming from the mouth or nose for 7-10 days during the healing process as well as noticing a white patch over the area where your tonsils were. This is the normal fibrin (scab) covering the area.