Morbidly obese patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea: is airway reconstructive surgery a viable treatment option?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcomes of airway reconstructive surgery for the treatment of severe obstructive sleep apnea in the morbidly obese patient. METHODS: Retrospective review of consecutively treated patients. Variables examined include age, sex, body mass index (BMI), respiratory disturbance index (RDI), lowest oxygen saturation (LSAT), cephalometric data, and complications. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (13 men) with a mean age of 42.6 +/- 7.9 years and mean BMI of 45 +/- 5.4 kg/m2 were identified. The mean RDI improved from 83 +/- 30.1 to 10.6 +/- 10.8 events per hour with an improved mean apnea index from 38.4 +/- 31.3 to 1.2 +/- 1.8 events per hour. The mean LSAT improved from 63.9 +/- 17.7% to 86 +/- 7.9%. The mean BMI at the 6-month postoperative polysomnographic recording was 43 +/- 4.3 kg/m2 (P < .001). Seventeen patients (81%) were successfully treated (RDI < 20 and with minimal desaturation < 90%). The mean follow-up was 21.8 +/- 15.4 months (range, 7-66 mo). Coexisting obesity-hypoventilation syndrome was related to treatment failure in two patients. One patient noted recurrence of daytime fatigue after significant weight gain 4 years after surgery and the polysomnographic recordings demonstrated the recurrence of obstructive sleep apnea. CONCLUSION: Airway reconstruction is an effective treatment for severe obstructive sleep apnea in the morbidly obese patient. Careful patient selection and identifying potential coexisting obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, as well as counseling on weight reduction and avoiding continual weight gain will improve treatment outcomes. Key Words: Obstructive sleep apnea, sleep-disordered breathing, obstructive sleep apnea surgery, obesity, maxillomandibular advancement.

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.