Professional article by PD Dr. Loeffelbein on skeletal displacement surgical techniques for obstructive sleep apnea.

Patients with verified obstructive sleep apnea are often managed exclusively by otolaryngologists and sleep physicians. Collaboration with oral surgery colleagues often occurs only when therapy fails or on the affected patient’s own initiative. In addition, surgical approaches to the treatment of OSA are unfortunately only considered as a last option in the majority of cases, although they are at least equivalent to other therapies and could shorten some suffering. In particular, sufferers with skeletal dysgnathia (malocclusion) actually benefit doubly from some methods of modern maxillofacial surgery. Orthodontic / maxillofacial complex treatment can resolve malocclusions, expand the “posterior airway space” (PAS) and harmonize facial aesthetics. Complex treatment in this context refers to the alternating therapy of orthodontic tooth movement and skeletally displacing jaw surgery.