Adult sleep apnea and related procedures

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most prevalent breathing disorder in sleep, affecting up to 20 % of the population, with approximately 5 % experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness [1, 2]. The total economic burden of OSA including health-care costs, lost productivity, accidents, and loss of quality of life is substantial, accounting for billions of dollars per year, and is expected to increase [3]. As such, procedures related to improvement of OSA symptoms, as well as unrelated procedures in patients with OSA will likely increase in prevalence. Anesthesiologists and otolaryngologists will therefore face the challenges inherent to this patient population and a thorough understanding of the scope of the disease state is crucial.