The RDI is defined as the number of apneic and hypopneic events per hour. Surgeons use these parameters to determine treatment options based on the severity of the apnea. The positive airway pressure acts as a pneumatic stent, resisting airway collapse. This treatment requires the patient to be compliant in wearing an uncomfortable mask at night. Oral appliances or mandible advancement devices alter the position of the tongue base and mandible in an effort to relieve obstruction.
Weight loss is recommended for the typical patient with obesity.
Some cases of OSA are resolved with weight loss alone. Second-line treatments for OSA are more complex and include bimaxillary advancement, tongue base surgery, and subapical mandibular osteotomy. Uvulectomy A patient with a large uvula who snores and has few or no symptoms of apnea may benefit from a uvulectomy. The patient can have local anesthesia, and the uvulectomy can be performed as an office procedure using cautery or a carbon dioxide laser. The procedure consists of incising the inferior rim of the soft palate and uvula.