A narrow maxilla with high arched palate characterizes a phenotype of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients that is associated with increased nasal resistance and posterior tongue displacement. Current maxillary expansion techniques for adults are designed to correct dentofacial deformity. We describe distraction osteogenesis maxillary expansion (DOME)tailored to adult patients with OSA with narrow nasal floor and high arched palate without soft tissue redundancy. DOME is performed with placement of maxillary expanders secured by mini-implants along the midpalatal suture. This minimizes the maxillary osteotomies necessary to re-create sutural separation for reliable expansion at the nasal floor and palatal vault. We report the safety and efficacy profile of the first 20patients at Stanford who underwent DOME.

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Stanley Yung-Chuan Liu, MD, DDS, Christian Guilleminault, MD, DBiol, Leh-Kiong Huon, MD, and Audrey Yoon, DDS

This article originally appeared in Otolaryngology—Head and Neck