Why Does Sleep Apnea Surgery Fail?

Sunday, October 18, 2026

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM PT

Location: 403B

Moderator(s)

Eric J. Kezirian, MD, MPH

Professor-in-Residence
UCLA
Los Angeles, CA, United States

Panelist(s)

Katherine K. Green, MD, MS

Assistant Professor and Director of Sleep Surgery
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Aurora, Colorado, United States
PH

Phillip Huyett, MD

Director of Sleep Surgery
Mass Eye and Ear, United States
Thomas M. Kaffenberger, MD

Physician
University of Pittsburgh Department of Otolaryngology
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Disclosure(s):

Eric J. Kezirian, MD, MPH:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea has outcomes are far from perfect, both for more-traditional surgical techniques (palate surgery and hypopharyngeal surgery) and for hypoglossal nerve stimulation. Understanding factors associated with surgical outcomes and the mechanisms underlying surgical failures can improve procedure selection and patient selection, offering potential significant improvements in surgical outcomes.
This session will examine the current knowledge and future directions in this area. We will explore findings from awake physical examination (tonsil size, palate shape, fiberoptic endoscopy) and drug-induced sleep endoscopy, nasal vs. oral breathing, insomnia and hypoglossal nerve stimulation effectiveness, and central sleep apnea.

Learning Objectives:

To improve use of awake examination findings (especially tonsil size and palate shape) and drug-induced sleep endoscopy in guiding procedure selection
To learn more about central sleep apnea and endotypic traits, including implications regarding patient selection and management of treatment with hypoglossal nerve stimulation
To evaluate the important considerations related to oral breathing and insomnia for upper airway surgery and hypoglossal nerve stimulation