Soft palate implants as a minimally invasive treatment for mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

CONCLUSION: The palatal implant method originally designed to reduce snoring can significantly reduce the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in some patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in a single office-based procedure. OBJECTIVE: An initial study designed to evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of palatal implants as primary treatment for patients with mild to moderate OSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, non-randomized study of 16 previously untreated and undiagnosed patients with sleep apnea. The inclusion criteria were an AHI of 10-30/h and a body mass index (BMI) < or = 30. RESULTS: The mean AHI was reduced following implantation, from 16.1 to 11.8 (p<0.01). A reduction in AHI was achieved in 13 patients (81%). Ten of 16 patients had their AHI reduced to <10.0. Snoring intensity decreased from 8.3+/-1.8 to 4.7+/-2.5 on a visual analog scale (p<0.001) and daytime sleepiness dropped from 7.2+/-2.5 to 4.6+/-3.2 on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (p<0.05). No significant adverse events were reported.