Thank you for this comment which mirrors my experience. Unfortunately CPAP seems to be considered the be all and end all of treatment, although the mask, tubes and reliance on such a bedtime setup can be enormously disruptive of sleep on its own.
Unless you have a very specific, isolated problem (such as huge tonsils or a fucked up jaw), surgery is rarely a good option. Results are hit or miss, recovery is unpleasant, and the scar tissue created can result in more obstructions years down the line.
None of the current implants are as good as cpap and few peole qualify for them.
Mouth guards can work, but many don't tolerate them well and they can lead to TMJ issues.
Etc.
https://www.sleepapnea.org/treatment/sleep-apnea-mouth-guard...
Clearly they have to know which part of your airway is restricted. Most of the variables for sleep apnea are not related to the surgey, just factors that make it more likely to experience that restricted airway (drinking, weight, etc).
My question is, what tools are there to narrow, to a certainty, what would need to be done via surgery? In all my research I have found none. Maybe I missed them. If I did not, then it amounts to a guess by a surgeon. And that's what worries me and has fed a lot of the horror stories I've read about.