Tongue suspension suture in obstructive sleep apnea

Tongue base obstruction is widely acknowledged to be the most difficult level of obstruction to treat in obstructive sleep apnea. A number of methods to correct surgically the tongue base collapse have been proposed. The tongue base suspension suture was introduced as a minimally invasive technique for tongue base stabilization. The technique uses a screw as a bone anchor inserted intraorally into the mandible with an attached Prolene number 1 suture (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc, Cincinnati, OH) that is passed through the tongue. The suture not only provides a sling-like effect in the tongue base but also incorporates into the tongue musculature, imparting rigidity to the airway. This procedure can be performed alone or as part of a multilevel surgical algorithm in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.