Otolaryngology (ENT)/Head and Neck Surgery

The Sleep Surgery Clinic at Mayo Clinic's campus in Minnesota provides specialized treatment for adults and children with obstructive sleep apnea who haven't found relief with other treatment options, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

Sleep surgery is performed in the Department of Otolaryngology (ENT)/Head and Neck Surgery by doctors with specific interests and advanced training in the surgical care of people with obstructive sleep apnea.

Considering surgery

At the Sleep Surgery Clinic, you are cared for by an interdisciplinary team of doctors and allied health professionals who are committed to helping you. You'll first talk with a sleep medicine doctor to understand and try to eliminate the barriers you may be having to tolerating your CPAP device or other treatment approaches. You may be referred to a sleep surgery doctor to discuss surgery and other options for treating obstructive sleep apnea.

If you and your care team decide to proceed with sleep surgery, the procedure is done by a surgeon certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and experienced with advanced technology and techniques, including upper airway stimulation therapy. Upper airway stimulation therapy, involves implanting a small device under the skin in the upper chest. The device monitors your breathing while you sleep and delivers a mild stimulation when needed to keep your airway open during sleep.

Services

The Sleep Surgery Clinic provides all types of sleep apnea surgery. These surgeries fall into three categories:

• Soft tissue surgery, for example, tonsillectomy and palate surgeries, such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)
• Upper airway stimulation therapy (Inspire device)
• Orthognathic surgery, such as maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery

Research and innovation

Mayo Clinic doctors are active in obstructive sleep apnea research to develop new solutions that improve treatment. See a list of publications about obstructive sleep apnea by Mayo Clinic doctors on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

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