Hong SN, et al. - Researchers assessed the therapeutic outcomes of expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty (ESP) in conjunction with other surgical procedures and examined indications for ESP in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients in this cohort study of 63 Korean patients who had confirmed moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea with lateral pharyngeal wall collapse. Investigators found that correction of the collapse through ESP was linked to a successful outcome in 67% of patients and significantly improved their objective sleep quality measurements. In patients with moderate or severe OSA, ESP seems to be a promising surgical technique for reducing lateral pharyngeal collapse. Clinical data suggest that in patients with OSA, both severe palatal circumferential narrowing and bulky lateral pharyngeal tissue are favorable ESP surgical indications. After ESP, the rate of postoperative complications (ie, pain and bleeding) was minimal and some patients reported an abnormal sensation around the soft palate and after ESP swallowing difficulty.