Surgery

In some cases, surgery may be an appropriate treatment option. There are only three surgical procedures recommended by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Studies show that the following surgeries have reliable results:

• Surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoids.
• Craniofacial surgery that involves breaking and repositioning the upper and lower jaws to create a larger airway.
• Tracheostomy, which is a surgical procedure that creates a new airway through a hole in the neck.

Note that the latter two surgeries, craniofacial surgery and tracheostomy, are extreme procedures and are only recommended in severe cases and as a last resort.