Voice outcomes for patients undergoing surgery for obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of the different surgical techniques used in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the postoperative voice and nasalance, and to conduct a meta-analysis through the assessment of postoperative changes. METHODS: Systematic literature review and meta-analysis of published data using the data sources, MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Cochrane, and SAGE. All studies published in English specifying any upper airway surgery for treatment of snoring and/or OSA were included, provided they indicated the pre- and postoperative mean ± standard deviation (SD) values for voice parameters and nasality. The primary outcomes were the changes in preoperative-postoperative mean values of fundamental frequency (mF0), jitter, shimmer, and nasalance scores. RESULTS: After removal of duplications, 214 studies were potentially relevant, and 25 studies ultimately met the criteria for inclusion in the present review. Of the 25 studies evaluated in this review, 12 studies with 379 patients were available for the meta-analysis calculations. In general, a fixed-effects model was used to analyze the data in the subgroups. The meta-analysis results showed no significant differences in either subgroup analysis between the preoperative and postoperative assessments of mF0, jitter, shimmer, oral nasalance, nasal nasalance, and oronasal nasalance (All had values of p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis indicated no significant effect of surgical treatments for snoring or OSA on glottic functioning and nasalance parameters, regardless of surgery type. Further prospective studies are needed to assess more parameters for detailed acoustic analyses.

Various combinations of velopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal surgical procedures for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea: Single-stage, multilevel surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and outcomes of velopharyngeal surgeries combined with hypopharyngeal surgeries as single-stage interventions for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of operated patients. The velopharyngeal surgical interventions were uvulopalatal flap, anterior palatoplasty, expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty, transpalatal advancement pharyngoplasty, Cahali lateral pharyngoplasty, Z-palatoplasty, and modified uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. The hypopharyngeal surgical interventions were tongue base suspension, mucosal sparing partial glossectomy, genioglossus advancement, mandibulohyoid suspension, thyrohyoid suspension, and epiglottoplasty. RESULTS: Forty-one patients were enrolled after inclusion and exclusion criteria. The evaluation of symptoms and polysomnographic findings were performed preoperatively and at a minimum of 3months postoperatively. The mean age was 42.17±9.50years and the mean follow-up time was 6.8±6.0months. After single-stage multilevel surgery, the mean apnea hypopnea index (AHI) improved from 29.13±15.87events/h to 14.28±16.14events/h (p<0.001). According to the classical definition of success criteria (>50% reduction in AHI and postoperative AHI<20events/h), the surgical success rate was 56%, with cure of OSA (AHI<5events/h) in 41% of study population. The combined surgeries also improved Epworth scores, snoring scores, and respiratory parameters significantly (in all p<0.05). The major complications were bleeding requiring re-admission in surgery room and severe tongue base edema which regressed by steroid administration. The minor complications were pain, difficulty in swallowing, velopharyngeal insufficiency, regurgitation, minor bleeding, and occlusion disorder. The mean postoperative period to beginning of normal feeding was 1.81±1.01days. The percentage of pain, the number of patients with major bleeding, and the need for patient-controlled analgesia were higher in patients undergoing tissue resection/ablative hypopharyngeal procedures. The mean postoperative period to beginning of normal feeding was shorter in patients undergoing suture/repositioning hypopharyngeal procedures. CONCLUSION: According to outcomes of this study, OSA patients with multilevel obstructions can benefit from combined surgeries for velopharyngeal and hypopharyngeal regions at the same operation stage, without experiencing persistent complaints. It is promising that, despite multiple levels of obstruction was operated at single-stage, airway safety was preserved in all patients.

A new surgical technique versus an old marker: can expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty reduce C-reactive protein levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the change in serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) before and after expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty (ESP) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. Fifty-one patients with newly diagnosed OSA were prospectively enrolled in this study. We performed ESP in twenty-three patients in the surgery group and twenty-eight patients were included in the CPAP group. Serum levels of high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays before and 3 months after treatment. The relations between CRP and the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), visual analog scale (VAS), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and saturation parameters were evaluated. Both surgical and CPAP treatments caused significant improvements in the clinical and laboratory parameters. However, only the patients whose postoperative AHI levels improved to final AHI of <5 (n = 6) after ESP, had significant decrease in their serum CRP levels (p = 0.028). CPAP group and the rest of the patients in the surgery group did not show statistically significant difference in CRP levels after treatment. We suggest that the successful surgical treatment for OSA-ESP in this study-, which provides OSA cure, can decrease serum levels of CRP and reduce possible cardiovascular morbidity.

Nasalance scores for normal-speaking Turkish population.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to obtain normative nasalance scores for adult and children subjects speaking Turkish language and obtain a reference for normality when nasality is evaluated. METHODS: Mean nasalance scores were obtained from 35 normal-speaking children aged 7 to 13 years, and 125 adults aged 18 to 69 years during the repetition of 3 nasalance passages that were categorized according to the amount of nasal consonants (oral, oronasal, and nasal passages). The Nasometer (model 6400) was used to obtain nasalance scores for the 3 reading passages. RESULTS: Group mean ± SD nasalance scores of children for oral passage, oronasal passage, and nasal passage were 15.14 ± 4.81, 37.76 ± 4.42, and 49.23 ± 6.95, respectively. Nasalance scores for the adult group were 13.46 ± 6.26, 37.84 ± 6.13, and 50.28 ± 7.77, respectively. There were significant differences in mean nasalance scores for oral versus nasal materials both for children and adult groups. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provides normative nasalance scores for Turkish-speaking children and adults. The results indicated acceptable differentiation between oral and nasal materials.

Comparison of early postoperative pain among surgical techniques for obstructive sleep apnea.

One of the criticized aspects of surgeries for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is postoperative pain. We performed a study to compare the severity of pain occurring after different surgical techniques and to determine analgesic requirements in the first postoperative 24 h. Forty-eight patients with primary snoring or OSA who underwent anterior palatoplasty (AP), lateral pharyngoplasty (LP) or tongue base suspension suture (TBS) were included in this study. A visual analog scale (VAS) was used for measuring pain intensity. Tramadol with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device and when necessary rescue pethidine was used for pain relief. VAS pain scores, total PCA-tramadol consumptions and requirement of rescue analgesic in AP, LP and TBS groups were compared. Pain scores in TBS group were higher than AP group in all of the study time points except at 12th hour and LP group until the 10th hour. When compared with AP group, VAS was significantly higher in LP group at the 1st hour. Mean total tramadol consumptions were significantly different between the groups (AP-LP, p = 0.039; AP-TBS, p < 0.001; LP-TBS, p < 0.001). It was highest in the TBS group and lowest in the AP group. In the LP group, three patients (16.7 %) needed rescue analgesia in comparison with 11 (73.3 %) in the TBS group. None of the patients in the AP group needed rescue analgesic. AP is the least painful and TBS is the most painful procedure. PCA-bolus tramadol effectively treats pain caused by AP and LP; however, alleviation of pain caused by TBS usually needs rescue opioid analgesic.

The upper airway evaluation of habitual snorers and obstructive sleep apnea patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) and upper airway examination findings of habitual snorers and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 264 patients whose tonsils were evaluated in 4 grades. The Mallampati classification was used to determine the relationship between tongue and palate. All patients performed the Müller maneuver in a sitting position. The Fujita classification was used to define the type of obstruction. All patients had polysomnography and were divided into 4 groups according to AHI. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between examination findings and AHI. RESULTS: Of the patients, 133 (50.4%) were habitual snorers, 66 (25%) were mild OSA, 40 (15.2%) were moderate OSA and 25 (9.5%) were severe OSA patients. There was a positive correlation between neck circumference, BMI and AHI in males (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference between patient groups according to Mallampati classification, collapse at the velopharyngeal level and hypopharyngeal level and Fujita classification (all p < 0.001). There were significant relationships between tonsil size, Fujita classification, Mallampati classification, collapse ratios and AHI. CONCLUSION: We saw that hypopharyngeal area often contributes to obstruction and some examination methods correlate more with AHI. This can aid sleep physicians in the evaluation of OSA patients.

Management of obstructive sleep apnea by maxillomandibular advancement surgery in an edentulous patient.

BACKGROUND: Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery is a surgical treatment option for treating the patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Surgical treatment of OSA by MMA surgery is a problem when it is encountered with an edentulous patient because of the intermaxillary fixation problem of the jaws. A paucity of information is available concerning MMA surgery for edentulous patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this case report, we present the preoperative planning, orthognathic surgery, and postoperative phases of a 49-year-old edentulous severe OSA (apnea hypopnea index, 81.9 event/hr) patient who underwent MMA surgery. RESULTS: Polysomnographic examination 9 months after surgery revealed normalization of the somnographic evaluations (apnea hypopnea index, 1.3). CONCLUSIONS: The results reported in the present case showed that the surgical treatment of OSA by MMA surgery in edentulous patients could be successfully done. Further critical evaluations of this approach for the surgical treatment of edentulous OSA patients are needed.

An excessive coronoid hyperplasia with suspected traumatic etiology resulting in mandibular hypomobility.

There are multiple theories as to the causes of coronoid process hyperplasia of the mandible, including trauma, temporalis muscle hyperactivity, hormonal stimulus, and genetic inheritance. The excess growth of the coronoid process can cause impingement on the zygomatic processes and may result in mandibular hypomobility. A case of an excessive unilateral coronoid hyperplasia with suspected traumatic etiology, which was successfully treated by coronoidectomy and postoperative physiotherapy, is presented. The patient was a 21-year-old man whose maximum mouth opening was 23 mm. The attachments of the temporalis muscle were stripped and the coronoid process was accessed using the Al-Kayat and Bramley approach. The coronoid process was then resected via an intraoral pathway. One week after surgery, physiotherapy was started and the maximum mouth opening had increased to 38 mm. In the case presented, a coronoidectomy with postoperative physiotherapy for treatment of coronoid process hyperplasia produced satisfactory results in the correction of coronoid-malar interference.

Rigid external maxillary distraction and rhinoplasty for pyknodysostosis.

AIM: This article reports the treatment of an 33-year-old female patient with pyknodysostosis by rigid external distraction II midface distraction system. STUDY DESIGN: The patient with pyknodysostosis described in this report had severe midfacial hypoplasia. Correction of this by use of routine orthognathic surgery would require osteosynthesis and bone grafting. Risk of infection and/or nonunion after such a surgical procedure was considered too great, and therefore the possibility of treatment by distraction osteogenesis of the maxilla was evaluated. The rigid external distraction II midface distraction system was used to relocate the hypoplastic maxilla at anterior-inferior projection. CONCLUSIONS: Distraction osteogenesis should be considered as the primary reconstructive method for maxillofacial deformities in patients with sclerosing bone dysplasias, since this is the second reported case treated successfully with rigid external distraction.

Prospective study of the impact of thyroid hormone replacement on objective voice parameters.

OBJECTIVES: Hypothyroidism has long been considered to have an impact on phonation. In this study, objective evaluation of vocal function in women with hypothyroidism was performed in order to characterize potential dysphonia; their subsequent response to thyroid hormone replacement was prospectively studied. It was hypothesized that thyroid hormone replacement therapy in this cohort would have an objectively measurable impact on vocal function. METHODS: Prospectiv evaluation of objective voice parameters and concurrent determination of serum thyroid status was executed both before and after thyroid hormone replacement in a cohort of patients who had had total thyroidectomy. Objective voice parameters before and after treatment were compared. RESULTS: Twenty-four female subjects were recruited over an 18-month period. After surgery, all subjects were hypothyroid (mean thyroid-stimulating hormone level, 81.38 mIU/L; range, 25.26 to 100.00 mIU/L) before replacement. After hormone therapy, their mean thyroid-stimulating hormone level dropped to 1.20 mIU/L (range, 0.28 to 3.83 mIU/L). The mean fundamental frequency significantly increased from a pretreatment average of 223.48 +/- 36.10 Hz to 237.64 +/- 38.81 Hz. Other measured voice parameters (jitter, shimmer, amplitude perturbation quotient, pitch perturbation quotient, noise-to-harmonics ratio, and maximum phonation time) were not affected. CONCLUSIONS: Thyroid hormone replacement therapy following total thyroidectomy has a measurable impact on mean fundamental frequency in female patients. The mechanism of this effect is not known.

A tertiary center experience with velopharyngeal surgical techniques for treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes of patients who treated with the relatively new surgical procedures; anterior palatoplasty (AP), Cahali lateral pharyngoplasty (CLP), and expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty (ESP) for habitual snoring or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: Prospective series of 93 patients were evaluated. The performed surgical techniques, polysomnographic outcomes, pre- and postoperative clinical parameters, and complication rates were assessed. RESULTS: There were 14 snorers and 79 OSA patients. The mean age was 40.7 years, mean BMI was 27.67kg/m2, and the mean follow-up time was 5.90 months. There were 30 subjects in AP, 30 subjects in CLP, and 33 subjects in ESP groups. Apnea hypopnea index (AHI) improved from 16.90 to 14.27 (p=0.135) in AP, from 17.69 to 12.05 in CLP (p=0.004), and from 26.83 to 9.08 in ESP groups (p<0.001). When surgical success criteria is defined as more than 50% reduction in AHI to final AHI <15events/h, success rates were 45%, 64%, and 74% in AP, CLP, and ESP groups, respectively. Epworth Sleepiness Scale and visual analog scale for snoring significantly decreased after all procedures (p<0.05). The minimum oxygen saturation significantly increased after all procedures, however, only ESP caused statistically significant improvements in oxygen desaturation index, mean SaO2 and the percentage of sleep time with SaO2 below 90%. During the follow-up period, 61 of 93 patients (65.6%) indicated one or more complaints, but none of them was persistent. CONCLUSION: We suggest that these relatively new velopharyngeal surgical techniques are effective in the management of snoring and OSA without causing persistent side-effects, and ESP is one step ahead of the other two techniques.

Low-cholesterol diet and antilipid therapy in managing tinnitus and hearing loss in patients with noise-induced hearing loss and hyperlipidemia.

The aim of our study was to outline the prevalence of hyperlipidemia in patients who had high-frequency hearing loss and tinnitus due to noise exposure. We investigated the role of a low-cholesterol diet and antihyperlipidemic therapy to alleviate the severity of tinnitus and possibly promote hearing gain after therapy in patients with acoustic trauma. Forty-two hyperlipidemic patients with subjective tinnitus and hearing loss due to noise exposure were enrolled for the study. We placed patients on a low-cholesterol diet or antihyperlipidemic therapy and followed them for up to 24 months; then we designated two groups as either "unresponsive" (n = 22; no response to either of the therapies and still experiencing hyperlipidemia) or "responsive" (n = 20; lower cholesterol or triglyceride levels). We then compared tinnitus scores and hearing levels in the two groups. The difference between tinnitus scores in the unresponsive and responsive groups and the change in tinnitus scores before and after therapy in the responsive group were significant. When we compared self-rated tinnitus severity results in two groups after therapy, we found the difference was significant (p < .05). The difference between average air-conduction thresholds at high frequencies after the treatment in the two groups was also significant. The incidence of hyperlipidemia is high among patients with noise-induced hearing loss, and significant improvement by way of lowered tinnitus intensity and higher frequencies in average hearing thresholds can be achieved after lowering the serum lipid level.

Reconstructive rhinoplasty: the 3-dimensional nasal tip.

OBJECTIVES: To review nasal alar support mechanisms, introduce the concept of tractional forces on the nasal ala, and describe a reconstructive technique to correct nasal tip deformities associated with weakened tractional force on the nasal ala. DESIGN: Photographic study and retrospective medical chart review. RESULTS: We noted that patients with weakened support at the dome of the lower lateral cartilage had lateral alar deformities. Strengthening the cartilaginous deficiency improved the nasal appearance and function in 90% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Deformities of the nasal tip are among the most difficult to correct. Tractional forces provided by dome strength help to maintain the ala in its normal anatomical position. Structural tip grafts restore the tractional force and, thereby, help to correct the alar deformity.

A rare cause of parotid swelling: primary hydatid cyst.

Hydatid disease is a zoonotic infection caused by Echinococcus species. Cystic form of this infection mostly involves liver and lung. Hydatid disease of the parotid gland is a very rare entity that may be easily overlooked in daily practice. On the other hand, rupture of the cyst during surgery may give rise to serious complications. We present a case of hydatid cyst of the parotid and discuss the differential diagnosis of this rare condition.

Leiomyosarcoma of the head and neck: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Leiomyosarcoma is a malignant smooth-muscle tumor that is exceedingly rare in the head and neck region. Two cases of this uncommon tumor localized in the larynx and the parapharyngeal region are presented in this report, which might be the second leiomyosarcoma in the parapharyngeal region reported so far to our knowledge. We also discuss the diagnosis and treatment of leiomyosarcoma in this aspect.

Agenesis of the unilateral parotid gland associated with pleomorphic adenoma of the contralateral parotid gland.

Congenital absence of the parotid gland is extremely infrequent. We present here a case of unilateral parotid gland agenesis with pleomorphic adenoma of the contralateral parotid gland. Even though pleomorphic adenoma is the most common tumour of the parotid gland, to our knowledge this is the first case of these two conditions being seen together.

[Radiofrequency thermal ablation of the soft palate in patients with snoring and mild sleep apnea]. / Horlama ve hafif derecede obstrüktif uyku apneli olgularda yumusak damak radyofrekans doku ablasyonu uygulamasi.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the early effects of radiofrequency thermal ablation performed to the soft palate on snoring level, apnea index (AI), and daytime sleepiness of patients with simple snoring or mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 88 patients having a diagnosis of simple snoring without apnea (n=61), apnea with AI < or = 5 (n=13), and mild OSA with 5 < or = AI < or = 15 (n=14). Radiosurgery was performed to three or four locations on the soft palate and uvula under local anesthesia, with some patients requiring a subsequent procedure. The results were evaluated two months after the final session using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and visual analog scale (VAS). RESULTS: The complaints completely disappeared in three patients (3.4%). Improvement was more than 50% in 79 patients (89.7%) and less than 50% in two patients (2.2%). There was no change in four patients. The mean snoring symptom level, snoring noise level, ESS score, and apnea index were 3.01+/-1.96, 1.43+/-0.79, 3.55+/-2.58, and 3.20+/-1.85, respectively. The results were significantly improved compared to pretreatment values in all the patient groups (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Radiofrequency thermal ablation is an effective and well tolerable treatment method for simple snoring, mild OSA, and associated daytime sleepiness, with minimal postoperative morbidity and a low complication rate.

[The effect of nasal dilators and local decongestants on the nasal airway]. / Burun genisletici bantlarin ve lokal dekonjestanlarin nazal hava yoluna etkileri.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effect of external nasal dilator strips and local decongestants used either alone or in combination on the nasal airway. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 23 volunteer males (mean age 24.3 years; range 21 to 36 years) with no complaints of nasal obstruction. Nasal airway dimensions were measured by acoustic rhinometry after the following applications: (i) no application; (ii) a placebo strip; (iii) a nasal dilator; (iv) a local decongestant; (v) a local decongestant followed by a placebo strip; and (vi) a local decongestant followed by a nasal dilator. Cross sectional areas (CSA1, CSA2, and CSA3) and three equal volumes (V1, V2, and V3) of the first 6 cm of the nasal airway were measured and compared with baseline values. RESULTS: After applying nasal dilator strips, CSA1 and CSA2 significantly increased by 33% and 10%, respectively, with a significant increase in V1, whereas increases in V2 and V3 did not reach significance. The use of local decongestants was associated with significant increases in CSA1, CSA2, and CSA3 by 24%, 25%, and 18%, respectively, with a corresponding significant increase in V2 by 20%. Combined use of a local decongestant and nasal dilator resulted in significant increases in all areas and volumes compared with baseline values. CONCLUSION: Combined use of external nasal dilators and local nasal decongestants produces a cumulative effect on cross sectional areas and nasal cavity volumes.

[The value of laryngeal electromyography in the prognosis of vocal cord paralysis]. / Vokal kord paralizilerinin takibinde larenjeal elektromiyografinin önemi.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the value of laryngeal electromyography (EMG) in monitoring patients with vocal cord paralysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscles of 40 patients (10 females, 30 males; mean age 32 years; range 18 to 61 years) with vocal cord paralysis were monitored with laryngeal electromyography. The patients were divided into two groups according to time to presentation after symptom onset, i.e. within 1-3 months (group 1; n=14), and after at least 12 months (group 2; n=26). Electromyography was repeated every three months in group 1, and in the third and sixth months in group 2. RESULTS: Initial EMG examinations showed polyphasic reinnervation potentials and partial axonal degeneration in 21 laryngeal nerves in group 1. Recovery was expected in these patients. Repeat EMGs revealed normal findings in 17 laryngeal nerves, yielding a prognostic estimation of 80.9% (17/21). In group 2, none of the patients demonstrated polyphasic potentials or motor unit potentials suggesting reinnervation on admission. The earliest and latest recoveries were observed in the fourth and eleventh months (mean 6.4 months) in group 1, respectively. However, group 2 patients were followed-up for at least 18 months after the onset of their symptoms and none manifested clinical and electrophysiologic improvement. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that EMG is a useful technique in the estimation of prognosis of patients presenting in the early period of vocal cord paralysis.

An unusual complication of genioglossus advancement surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Genioglossus advancement is a surgical procedure where the base of the tongue is pulled forward, usually to increase airway size due to deformity or a sleep breathing disorder. In this procedure, a small bony window is made in the lower jaw. The piece of bone along with the attachment for the tongue is pulled forward and down, then fastened to the outside of the lower jaw. Here we report a 43 year old male patient which has admitted to our department with the complaints of the mild pain and swelling on the chin area. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The patient underwent a genioglossus advancement surgery 3 months ago. An ortopantomograph revealed a root fracture of the lower left canine. Under mandibular nerve block, the lower left canine was extracted and the root piece was removed via an endodontic K-file. RESULTS: The healing period was uneventfull and no signs or symptoms of a pathology was detected. CONCLUSION: Dental complications related to genioglossus advancement are rarely reported. However, the surgeons should be aware of damage the roots of the adjacent teeth, especially the lower canines.