Maxillofacial Surgery

Surgical solution for sleep apnea treatment

The upper and lower jaws delimit the upper part of the respiratory tract.
The advancement of both jaws with orthognathic surgery increases upper airway volume. This is a permanent and efficient solution for sleep apnea in patients for whom positive pressure treatments have failed (CPAP). Orthognathic surgery may also treat dental and skeletal deformities affecting mastication.

During this procedure, your teeth will be repositioned back into place. An orthodontic treatment may be necessary prior to aligning the teeth. After the surgery a soft-to-liquid diet is recommended for roughly four weeks. Recovery usually takes around two weeks.  This procedure will not affect speech, phonation or swallowing.

Patients generally feel very little pain after surgery, if the right pain medications are prescribed. Swollen cheeks and temporary numbness of the lips and chin are normal side effects after this procedure. Maxillary advancement can affect the appearance of the face but the movements generally improves facial aesthetics.

Tongue muscle advancement can be done in combination with this surgery. This will further expand the upper airway.

Following orthognathic surgery, your surgeon will closely monitor your recovery. A post-operative laboratory-based polysomnography will also be performed to assess sleep apnea improvement.