A pharyngeal airway having a pharyngeal wall of a patient at least
partially surrounding and defining the airway is treated by selecting an
implant dimensioned so as to be implanted at or beneath a mucosal layer
of the pharyngeal wall and extending transverse to said wall. The implant
has mechanical characteristics for the implant, at least in combination
with a fibrotic tissue response induced by the implant, to stiffen said
pharyngeal wall to resist radial collapse. The implant is implanted into
the pharyngeal wall transverse to a longitudinal axis of the airway.