A patient should be sure to seek a second opinion from a specialist in sleep disorders. Tracheostomy used to be the only treatment for sleep apnea. The surgeon makes an opening through the neck into the windpipe and inserts a tube. This is performed rarely, usually only if sleep apnea is life-threatening. Procedures to correct facial abnormalities that cause sleep apnea may be appropriate.
Surgery known as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty removes soft tissue on the back of the throat and palate.
They are recommended only in rare circumstances. An experimental technique uses radio waves emitted from an electrode to treat patients who snore. The radio waves destroy a small amount of tissue at the base of the tongue. The therapy takes about twenty minutes, and, in one study, patients had an average of 10 treatments within five or six sessions. The procedure may be somewhat painful and require pain relievers.