Partial resection of the tongue for the amelioration of obstructive sleep apnoea: a report on 34 cases with long-term follow-up.

This is a report on 34 consecutive patients who had partial resection of the tongue (PROT) for severe snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Short-term (7-24 months) follow-up of 30 patients and long-term (7-11 years) follow-up of 20 patients revealed 88% short-term and 65% long-term improvement in symptoms. Weight loss (4.5 to 24.5 kg) occurred in 10 patients, 5 of whom were improved by the procedure. The oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal spaces are widened by removal of a wedge of tissue from the body of the tongue. PROT appears to be a simple but effective means of relieving OSA symptoms. There were no long-term complications. This procedure seems likely to reduce the morbidity and mortality of OSA, especially when associated with serious cardio-vascular or pulmonary pathology.