Obstructive sleep apnea surgery: Patient perspective and polysomnographic results

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to assess the outcomes of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) surgery based on the patient perspective and polysomnographic data. STUDY DESIGN: Fifty-six patients with severe OSA completed the 2-phase reconstructive protocol. A minimum of 6 months after the phase II surgery and after the postoperative polysomnography, questionnaires with visual analog scales (VAS 0-10) were mailed to the patients to assess their perceptions of treatment results. RESULTS: Forty-two (75%) questionnaires were returned. The mean patient age was 46.3 years. The mean respiratory disturbance index improved from 58.7 to 10.0. The mean lowest oxygen saturation improved from 76.3 to 87.3%. All 42 patients reported improved sleep (VAS 8.7). Although 10 patients reported changes in speech, the changes were insignificant, with 9 of the patients scoring 0 on the VAS (VAS 0.08 +/- 0.3). Five patients reported changes in swallowing, and their VAS scores were 0.5, 0.9, 1.0, 2.7, and 6.9 (mean VAS 2.4 +/- 2.7). Forty patients (95%) were satisfied with their results and would undergo the reconstruction again. CONCLUSION: Surgical airway reconstruction for severe OSA is a highly effective treatment option base on the objective as well as the subjective assessment.