Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
is considered an ideal treatment for treating
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS), due to its
being conservative and reversible; however, there is a
poor rate of adherence in its long-term use. Surgery
can significantly complement those cases where CPAP
is not tolerated. Surgery for OSAS must be carried out
taking into account the degree of obstructive apnea,
the place of greatest obstruction and the experience of
the medical team. The more severe the OSAS, the more
aggressive the surgical therapy can be. The place of
obstruction must not be considered in a simplistic way,
in which only one place of obstruction is defined, but
as a general alteration of the airway where the surgeon
must act in order to carry out an effective remodelling.
This paper describes different types of surgery and
their efficacy in OSAS according to the anatomical area
involved (nose, adenoidal surgery, tonsils, soft palate,
base of the tongue, hypopharynx and bimaxillary
protrusion). The scientific evidence shows that at
present reconstructive surgery of the airway competes
effectively with medical treatmen
