Repose Genioglossus Advancement

After making a small incision under your chin, your surgeon will use a specially designed inserter to place a small titanium screw into the back side of your lower jaw. Attached to the back end of the screw are two heavy, permanent sutures, which have been fused onto the back end of the screw. Your surgeon will then internalize these sutures inside your tongue. Following a specific protocol, your surgeon will then suspend or hammock the base of your tongue before closing the small incision under your chin. You won’t feel this suture when you’re awake, but when you fall asleep at night, the suture will stop your tongue from collapsing backwards towards the back of your throat, thereby preventing obstruction and apneic episodes.

How Effective is This Approach?

Multiple studies indicate that Repose Genioglossus Advancement in conjunction with UPPP reveals an average reduction in RDI or AHI of 75-90%. In fact, the most recent peer-reviewed medical journal article reported on 55 patients who underwent Repose Tongue Advancement surgery in conjunction with UPPP. All patients underwent a second sleep study at a minimum of three years after surgery. Average preoperative AHI was 52.8, while average post-operative AHI was 14.1. This constituted a 78% cure rate three years or more after surgery. Simply put, other than CPAP, precious few surgical combinations can offer cure rates of this magnitude.