Surgical Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Emergence of Central Sleep Apnea Events After Maxillomandibular Advancement Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

PURPOSE

Central sleep apnea (CSA) can develop after the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). No studies have identified whether treatment of OSA with maxillomandibular advancement surgery (MMA) can result in CSA. The purpose of our study was to determine the incidence and clinical significance of CSA emerging after MMA surgery to treat OSA.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective review was conducted of all patients who had undergone MMA surgery for OSA at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the QEII Health Sciences Centre (Halifax, NS, Canada) from 1996 through 2016. All patients with preoperative level 1 polysomnography and follow-up level 1 study results available at least 6 months postoperatively were included the present study. The pre- and postoperative central apnea index (CAI) results were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 113 patients (84 men and 29 women) with an average age of 44.0 years were included in the present study. In 35 patients (31.0%), the emergence of CSA events were recorded on postoperative polysomnograms. Only 2 of the 113 patients experienced the emergence of clinically significant postoperative CSA (CAI >5). In our patient cohort, gender (P = .085), patient age (P = .238), and preoperative (P = .716) and postoperative (P = .209) Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) results correlated with the postoperative development of CSA events after MMA surgery. The mean AHI values had decreased from 41.4 to 8.7 in all patients treated with MMA in our study.

CONCLUSIONS

The emergence of CSA events occurred in 31% of patients after OSA treatment with MMA surgery. The rate of clinically significant CSA events emerging after MMA surgery in our study was 1.8%. These findings help to support the use of MMA surgery for OSA as a reasonable treatment alternative for patients unable to tolerate CPAP.

Nasopharyngeal airway stenting devices for obstructive sleep apnoea: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review outcomes of adults with obstructive sleep apnoea treated with nasopharyngeal airway stenting devices.

METHODS

Medline, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library databases were searched, and data on device use and tolerability, sleepiness, oxygen saturation, apnoea index, apnoea-hypopnoea index, and sleep quality were collected.

RESULTS

Of 573 potential studies, 29 were retrieved for detailed evaluation and 16 met the study criteria. Polysomnography data for patients treated with nasal trumpets as an isolated therapy were pooled for meta-analysis. The mean apnoea index ± standard deviation, for 53 patients, decreased from 32.4 ± 15.9 to 9.0 ± 7.2 episodes per hour (p < 0.00001). The mean apnoea-hypopnoea index, for 193 patients, decreased from 44.1 ± 18.9 to 22.7 ± 19.3 episodes per hour (p < 0.00001). The mean lowest oxygen saturation, for 193 patients, increased from 66.5 ± 14.2 to 75.5 ± 13.9 per cent (p < 0.00001).

CONCLUSION

Some studies have demonstrated limited effectiveness and low tolerability of nasopharyngeal airway stenting devices, while other studies have shown a significant benefit in treating obstructive sleep apnoea, with a high level of patient acceptance. Nasal trumpets have been successful in decreasing airway obstruction in the short term.