Methods and apparatuses for lifting, suspending and stiffening a patients tissue are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method of lifting and stiffening a patients tissue includes inserting at least one suture into the patients tissue in a first direction, pulling the suture in a second direction so as to lift and suspend the tissue in a lifted position and stiffen the tissue in the lifted position, and cutting the suture so that the tissue remains in the lifted position. Preferably, the patients tissue is the patients soft palate.
