Mund-, Kiefer- und Gesichtschirurgie : MKG
-
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder in adults, however it also occurs in neonates with severe mandibular hypoplasia. The clinical significance of OSA results from hypoxemia and sleep fragmentation due to a collapse of the upper airway. Recently OSA has received much attention due to its potentially serious consequences on cardiac function. Besides daytime sleepiness and fatigue life expectancy is significantly shortened by a higher risk for apoplectic insults and heart failures. This paper reviews common surgical procedures with an emphasis on jaw advancement procedures. ⋯ Standard treatment of OSA is the CPAP-therapy. In some patients, however, CPAP-therapy cannot be applied, fails or is not well accepted. A great variety of surgical procedures for the treatment of OSA have been described. Bimaxillary advancement in adults and osteodistraction in neonates are safe and successful surgical techniques for an immediate improvement in OSA. Osteodistraction treatment can help to avoid tracheotomy in neonates.