Long Term Cardiovascular Outcomes Between Sleep Surgery and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure.

OBJECTIVES: Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) suffer from a multitude of concurrent morbidities including cardiovascular disease (CVD). Limited data exists comparing long term cardiovascular disease (CVD) clinical outcomes for patients treated with surgical intervention versus continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The purpose of this study was to compare CVD outcomes at multiple time points comparing those treated with sleep surgery versus CPAP alone. METHODS: A research database was used to assess outcomes: death, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, essential hypertension, and pulmonary hypertension at 5, 8, and 20 years for patients with OSA treated with surgical interventions (upper airway stimulation [UAS], uvulopalatopharyngoplasty [UPPP], and tonsillectomy) or CPAP alone. Subjects were identified using ICD and CPT codes and analyses were conducted with and without propensity score matching for age, sex, race, BMI, myocardial infarction (MI), essential hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure. RESULTS: All surgical interventions demonstrated benefit over CPAP alone at most time points for most surgical interventions. At 8 years, for all sleep surgeries (UAS or UPPP or tonsillectomy) (n = 6627) versus treatment with CPAP alone (n = 6627), matched subjects demonstrated decreased risk (odds ratios) and superior survival (hazard ratios and log ranks tests) for death (OR = 0.49 [0.39, 0.62] P ≤ .0001, HR = 0.29 [0.23, 0.37], χ2 = 109.58 P ≤ .0001), myocardial infarction (OR = 0.67 [0.54, 0.84] P = .0005*, HR = 0.48 [0.38, 0.60], χ2 = 42.40 P ≤ .0001), atrial fibrillation (OR = 0.70 [0.59, 0.83] P ≤ .0001, HR = 0.54 [0.45, 0.64], χ2 = 51.53 P ≤ .0001), heart failure (OR = 0.55 [0.47, 0.64] P ≤ .0001, HR = 0.41 [0.35, 0.47], χ2 = 137.416 P ≤ .0001), essential hypertension (OR = 0.88 [0.82, 0.94] P = .0002, HR = 0.78 [0.74, 0.82], χ2 = 76.38 P ≤ .0001), and pulmonary hypertension (OR = 0.51 [0.40, 0.65] P ≤ .0001, HR = 0.38 [0.29, 0.48], χ2 = 60.67 P ≤ .0001) where P ≤ .00037 indicated statistical significance*. CONCLUSION: This investigation suggests surgical management of obstructive sleep apnea may contribute to the mitigation of long-term clinical CVD morbidity.

Relationship of Modified Sleep Apnea Severity Index and HGNS Efficacy and Adherence in OSA Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) is a treatment option for patients with CPAP-intolerant (CPAPi) obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The modified sleep apnea severity index (mSASI) combines patient anatomy, weight, sleep study metrics, and symptoms into a composite index ranging from 1 (least severe) to 3 (most severe). Prior studies have associated mSASI with quality of life, CPAP adherence, and hypertension, but its utility in CPAPi patients is unknown. We evaluate the relationship between mSASI, HGNS efficacy, and adherence. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of consecutive CPAPi OSA patients who underwent HGNS from 2014 to 2023. Patients were included if data were available to calculate preoperative mSASI and postoperative HGNS adherence/efficacy. Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum, Fisher's exact, and Chi-squared tests were performed. RESULTS: 264 patients were included (mean age = 61.3 years, 95% White, 66% Male). Preoperatively, 168 (64%) patients had mSASI of 1, 81 (31%) mSASI = 2, and 15 (5.7%) mSASI = 3. At 3 months post-op, patients with baseline mSASI of 1, 2, and 3 showed 6.72, 6.39, and 5.88 hours/night of device usage (p = 0.4). This pattern persisted, although showing no significance, at 6 months, 12 months, and most recent follow-up. There were similar reductions in Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) across cohorts, with the mSASI3 group having the highest ESS postoperatively (p < 0.01). Sher15 response was similar between cohorts (mSASI1 = 52%, mSASI2 = 40%, mSASI3 = 25%, p = 0.2). CONCLUSION: Preoperative mSASI was not significantly correlated with HGNS adherence. Higher baseline mSASI was associated with greater postoperative daytime sleepiness. Further study is needed to evaluate mSASI as a tool within this population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 2024.

Analysis of Recent Sleep Surgery Fellowship Training.

OBJECTIVE: Since 2011, otolaryngologists aiming to become certified in sleep medicine have had to complete an ACGME accredited sleep medicine fellowship. In addition to standard sleep medicine and sleep surgery fellowships, several institutions have developed hybrid ACGME sleep medicine programs that incorporate sleep surgery training. Our primary aims were to understand the balance between sleep medicine and surgical training requirements and the surgical volume of recent graduates across the three pathways. Our secondary aim was to assess their employment post-graduation. An improved understanding of the current state of sleep surgeon training could better inform both applicants and programs and be used to guide fellowship curriculum development. METHODS: Between 2017 and 2023, we identified 26 surgeons who completed a sleep focused fellowship. An anonymous survey was developed and emailed to them. The survey assessed clinic and operating balance, procedures completed during fellowship, and comfort with these procedures as attendings. Finally, the survey assessed the job prospects of graduates. Data were analyzed with Prism 10. RESULTS: There were 19 respondents with 52.6% completing a hybrid fellowship, 21.3% completing a sleep medicine fellowship, and 31.6% completing a sleep surgery fellowship. Approximately 84.8% completed ACGME accredited otolaryngology training prior to fellowship. The three most common surgeries were hypoglossal nerve stimulators, pharyngoplasty, and nasal surgeries. Respondents on average received 2.4 job offers, 55% returned to their residency institution, and 89.5% were in academics. CONCLUSION: Our survey demonstrates a wide variability in sleep-focused fellowships for surgeons, but the employment market for these trainees is robust. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A Laryngoscope, 2024.

Comparing Treatment Effectiveness and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures of Four Treatment Options for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

BACKGROUND: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), mandibular advancement device (MAD), upper airway stimulation (UAS), and maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) are techniques to reduce apnea hypopnea index (AHI) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Current literature does not include a direct comparison of the 4 methods. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to measure and compare the efficacy of 4 common OSA treatments: CPAP, MAD, UAS, MMA. STUDY DESIGN, SETTING, SAMPLE: This retrospective cohort study examines data from 119 patients treated at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia receiving CPAP, MAD, UAS, or MMA between January 2018 and December 2020. Patients were excluded for significant medical comorbidities, body mass index ≥45, cognitive limitations, central/mixed apnea history, or pregnancy. PREDICTOR VARIABLES: The primary predictor variable was type of OSA intervention: CPAP, MAD, UAS, MMA. Treatments were assigned by treating physicians per their presenting OSA severity. MAIN OUTCOME VARIABLES: The primary outcome variable was efficacy defined as the therapeutic response to treatment measured using mean disease alleviation, a calculated variable (percentage) which employs post-treatment AHI adjusted by compliance (a measure of a patient's device use). Secondary therapeutic measures included remaining AHI and patient-reported outcome measures: Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Index, Patient-reported Apnea Questionnaire. COVARIATES: Demographic covariates included age, sex, height, weight, socioeconomic status, level of education, neck size, race, and body mass index. Clinical covariates included pretreatment AHI, AHI change, O2 nadir, adjusted compliance, and compliance. ANALYSES: Multivariate statistics were computed with alpha level of 0.05, including a regression with the primary outcome variables, treatment variables, and potential covariates. RESULTS: The sample included 119 subjects (mean age = 56.12, standard deviation [SD] = 5.81) with males at n = 72 (60%). MMA demonstrated greatest mean disease alleviation (M = 36.08, SD = 28.56), compared to UAS (M = 22.88, SD = 3.16), MAD (M = 6.80, SD = 8.13), and CPAP (M = 5.00, SD = 14.80), analysis of variance: P < .001. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: Both surgical treatments displayed significantly greater effectiveness than CPAP and MAD, suggesting that offering surgical alternatives sooner, particularly to those with severe OSA, may be logical in formulating more effective treatment guidelines.

Transoral Robotic Surgery Versus Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation for OSA: A Cost Analysis Study.

BACKGROUND: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) lingual tonsillectomy and hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) are effective surgical interventions for well-selected patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) intolerant to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Previous publications have demonstrated that HGNS patients have a lower postoperative apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and length of hospital stay than TORS patients. No prior study has investigated the differences in costs between HGNS and TORS. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare surgery-related costs in patients undergoing HGNS versus TORS lingual tonsillectomy for OSA intolerant to CPAP. METHODS: A retrospective study on OSA patients intolerant to CPAP that underwent HGNS or TORS from 2015 to 2022 at a tertiary care center. Cost was defined as the dollar amount associated with providing a specific service prior to the application of insurance. RESULTS: This study included 395 patients (375 UAS and 20 TORS). Average total cost was significantly higher in the UAS group than the TORS group (UAS: $25,582.60; TORS: $5832.60; p < 0.001). Operating room costs were also significantly higher in the UAS group (UAS: $1978.20; TORS: $1490.90; p = 0.001). The TORS cohort averaged higher costs for pharmacy (UAS: $201.30; TORS: $416.60; p < 0.001) and anesthesia (UAS: $139.00; TORS: $307.60; p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: The total cost was significantly higher in the UAS group compared to the TORS group. When making management decisions, it is important to consider the cost of care provided as well as patient-centered outcomes to optimize the value of care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A Laryngoscope, 2024.

How we measure hypoglossal nerve stimulator outcome matters: titration versus single amplitude efficacy sleep studies.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) is a common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Objective assessment of HGNS efficacy measures apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) by multi-amplitude titration polysomnography (tPSG) and/or a single amplitude efficacy sleep study (eHST). Both tests have been used to determine efficacy despite significantly different protocols. This project's aim was to determine differences in objective outcomes in HGNS patients who underwent both tPSG and eHST post-operatively. METHODS: Data from 379 consecutive HGNS patients were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion requirements were a pre-operative sleep study, a post-operative tPSG, and then an eHST, which at our institution is a type 3 home study. AHI mean and differences were calculated. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to analyze differences between tPSG and eHST. Sher15 criteria (post-operative AHI≤15 events/hour and ≥50% reduction from baseline) was calculated and compared by χ2 tests. RESULTS: Ultimately 61 patients met inclusion criteria with an average pre-operative AHI=33.2. When comparing the subject's tPSG versus eHST, tPSG AHI was significantly lower (AHI=8.8 versus AHI=17.6; respectively, p<0.001). There was also a difference in the percentage of patients that met Sher15 criteria when using tPSG (80.3%) versus eHST AHI (45.9%). CONCLUSIONS: HGNS patient's postoperative tPSG AHI was significantly lower than their eHST outcome. This work highlights the importance of reporting the type of post-operative study used in evaluating HGNS efficacy and the need for single amplitude, full-night studies to assess HGNS efficacy more accurately.

Troubleshooting Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy Using Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: This study assesses the utility of drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) in guiding further treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who have difficulty tolerating upper airway stimulation (UAS) or have inadequate response to therapy. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective analysis of UAS patients at our institution who underwent DISE, post-UAS, and evaluated the efficacy of different electrode configurations and maneuvers. SETTING: A tertiary care hospital. METHODS: Out of 379 patients who received UAS therapy, 34 patients who underwent DISE post-UAS (DISE-UAS) were included. Palatal coupling (PC) was assessed with UAS stimulation alone, jaw thrust alone, and both simultaneously during DISE. RESULTS: Among 34 patients, 5 had suboptimal adherence to UAS therapy, 19 had suboptimal therapy efficacy with residual OSA burden, and 10 had both. During DISE-UAS, PC was observed in 7 patients (21%) with UAS stimulation alone, 9 patients (26%) with jaw thrust alone, and 8 patients (24%) with both maneuvers combined. Notably, 10 patients (29%) did not exhibit PC with any maneuver. Based on DISE-UAS findings, 13 patients were recommended oral appliance therapy (OAT), and 8 patients underwent further surgical interventions. CONCLUSION: DISE-UAS is a valuable adjunct in troubleshooting UAS therapy for patients intolerant to CPAP or with suboptimal therapy efficacy. This study provides an algorithm for targeted multimodality therapy based on DISE findings, facilitating personalized management approaches.

Device-related outcomes following hypoglossal nerve stimulator implantation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) has been widely used to treat obstructive sleep apnea in selected patients. Here we evaluate rates of revision and explant related to HGNS implantation and assess types of adverse events contributing to revision and explant. METHODS: Postmarket surveillance data for HGNS implanted between January 1, 2018 and March 31, 2022, were collected. Event rates and risk were calculated using the postmarket surveillance event counts and sales volume over the same period. Indications were categorized for analysis. Descriptive statistics were reported and freedom from explant or revision curves were grouped by year of implantation. RESULTS: Of the 20,881 HGNS implants assessed, rates of explant and revision within the first year were 0.723% and 1.542%, respectively. The most common indication for explant was infection (0.378%) and for revision was surgical correction (0.680%). Of the 5,820 devices with 3-year postimplantation data, the rate of explant was 2.680% and of revision was 3.557%. During this same interval, elective removal (1.478%) was the most common indication, and for revisions, surgical correction (1.134%). CONCLUSIONS: The efficacy of HGNS is comparable in the real world setting to published clinical trial data. Rates of explant and revision are low, supporting a satisfactory safety profile for this technology. CITATION: Moroco AE, Wei Z, Byrd I, et al. Device-related outcomes following hypoglossal nerve stimulator implantation. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(9):1497-1503.

Safety of Ambulatory Surgery For Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Retrospective Review.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the safety of ambulatory surgery performed for obstructive sleep apnea. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Tertiary care hospital. METHODS: Demographic data including age, gender, race, body mass index, insurance status, socioeconomic status, and distance traveled for surgery was collected, as well as comorbidities, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Outcome variables included continuous positive airway pressure reinitiation, planned/unplanned postoperative admission, emergency department (ED) presentation, or readmission within 7 and 14 days of surgery. RESULTS: A total of 601 patients were included, who underwent sleep surgery between 2017 and 2022. The median age was 55 years [interquartile range: 19]. A total of 437 patients (73%) were male, 502 (84%) were Caucasian, and the median distance traveled was 20 miles [27]. The median AHI was 27.1 [26]. A total of 286 hypoglossal nerve stimulators, 12 tonsillectomies, 160 expansion sphincteroplasties (ESP), and 201 nasal procedures were performed. There were 9 (1%) planned and 23 (4%) total admissions postoperatively. Sixteen patients (2%) presented to ED within 7 days, and 22 (3%) within 14 days. Nine (1%) were readmitted within 7 days, and 12 (2%) within 14 days. There were significantly more planned admissions, unplanned admissions, ED presentations, and readmissions for ESP. There were no significant differences in demographic or clinical data between patients who underwent single versus multiple surgeries. CONCLUSION: Outpatient sleep surgery is generally safe. Close postoperative monitoring is necessary and overnight observation should be considered in those with very severe sleep apnea and/or significant comorbidities. The distance a patient travels should also be considered for overnight admission.

The relationship between positive airway pressure tolerance and adherence: defining a new metric.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy adherence rates range from 30% to 60%, yet adherent patients may still express dissatisfaction with treatment. The identification of factors affecting PAP tolerance could provide insight into its impact on adherence. METHODS: Patients with obstructive sleep apnea presenting for first follow-up visit after newly initiating PAP therapy were given a 10-question PAP tolerance survey encompassing domains of psychosocial perception, practical issues, and side effects, utilizing 10-point visual analog scales. Relationships between adherence data, tolerance scores, and patient variables (demographics, sleep-related factors, comorbidities, usage data) were explored via 2-tailed t tests, multivariable regression analysis, and recursive partitioning regression trees with a significance level of P ≤ .05. RESULTS: For 105 patients, tolerance scores were higher in patients considered adherent to therapy (P = .033), as were scores for individual survey questions addressing the ability to fall asleep (P = .013) and sleep through the night (P = .020). Depression positively (P = .006) and insomnia medication use negatively (P = .010) predicted tolerance score. Data-driven tolerance score cutoffs were identified to correlate with PAP adherence, with higher tolerance scores correlating with greater adherence rates. CONCLUSIONS: PAP tolerance may play an important role in therapy adherence. Tolerance can be statistically defined and categorized based on prior adherence data. Its utility as a predictive tool in assessing future adherence is warranted. CITATION: Tekumalla S, Plawecki A, Kaffenberger T, et al. The relationship between positive airway pressure tolerance and adherence: defining a new metric. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(7):1033-1038.

Evaluating insomnia queries from an artificial intelligence chatbot for patient education.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the accuracy of ChatGPT in addressing insomnia-related queries for patient education and assessed ChatGPT's ability to provide varied responses based on differing prompting scenarios. METHODS: Four identical sets of 20 insomnia-related queries were posed to ChatGPT. Each set differed by the context in which ChatGPT was prompted: no prompt, patient-centered, physician-centered, and with references and statistics. Responses were reviewed by 2 academic sleep surgeons, 1 academic sleep medicine physician, and 2 sleep medicine fellows across 4 domains: clinical accuracy, prompt adherence, referencing, and statistical precision, using a binary grading system. Flesch-Kincaid grade-level scores were calculated to estimate the grade level of the responses, with statistical differences between prompts analyzed via analysis of variance and Tukey's test. Interrater reliability was calculated using Fleiss's kappa. RESULTS: The study revealed significant variations in the Flesch-Kincaid grade-level scores across 4 prompts: unprompted (13.2 ± 2.2), patient-centered (8.1 ± 1.9), physician-centered (15.4 ± 2.8), and with references and statistics (17.3 ± 2.3, P < .001). Despite poor Fleiss kappa scores, indicating low interrater reliability for clinical accuracy and relevance, all evaluators agreed that the majority of ChatGPT's responses were clinically accurate, with the highest variability on Form 4. The responses were also uniformly relevant to the given prompts (100% agreement). Eighty percent of the references ChatGPT cited were verified as both real and relevant, and only 25% of cited statistics were corroborated within referenced articles. CONCLUSIONS: ChatGPT can be used to generate clinically accurate responses to insomnia-related inquiries. CITATION: Alapati R, Campbell D, Molin N, et al. Evaluating insomnia queries from an artificial intelligence chatbot for patient education. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(4):583-594.

Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With Trisomy 21 and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the long-term health implications of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on patients with Trisomy 21 (T21) and the role of sleep surgery as a therapeutic intervention. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective large database review. SETTING: The prevalence of OSA is as high as 75% in patients with T21. We sought to examine the cardiovascular, neurological, and endocrinological outcomes of patients with T21 10 years after their diagnosis of OSA. METHODS: TriNetX, an electronic medical record database, was queried for health outcomes in patients with T21 after diagnosis of OSA. The group was further analyzed to identify those who underwent sleep surgery, including hypoglossal nerve stimulation, palatopharyngoplasty, or adenotonsillectomy. RESULTS: Ten years after diagnosis, patients with OSA and T21 had a significantly higher incidence of death, myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, essential hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and Alzheimer's disease compared to patients with T21 alone. Patients with OSA and T21 who underwent sleep surgery had significantly reduced incidence of adverse health outcomes compared to patients using continuous positive airway pressure. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that patients with T21 and OSA are at higher risk of poor health outcomes, which may require closer monitoring for earlier diagnosis and management of comorbid conditions. Sleep surgery is a suitable treatment modality for mitigating the risk of adverse outcomes in this population and should be considered in patients who are eligible surgical candidates.

Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation and Cardiovascular Outcomes for Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Sham-controlled trials are needed to characterize the effect of hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) therapy on cardiovascular end points in patients with moderate-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Objective: To determine the effect of therapeutic levels of HGNS, compared to sham levels, on blood pressure, sympathetic activity, and vascular function. Design, Setting, and Participants: This double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized crossover therapy trial was conducted from 2018 to 2022 at 3 separate academic medical centers. Adult patients with OSA who already had an HGNS device implanted and were adherent and clinically optimized to HGNS therapy were included. Participants who had fallen asleep while driving within 1 year prior to HGNS implantation were excluded from the trial. Data analysis was performed from January to September 2022. Interventions: Participants underwent a 4-week period of active HGNS therapy and a 4-week period of sham HGNS therapy in a randomized order. Each 4-week period concluded with collection of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), pre-ejection period (PEP), and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) values. Main Outcomes and Measures: The change in mean 24-hour systolic blood pressure was the primary outcome, with other ABPM end points exploratory, and PEP and FMD were cosecondary end points. Results: Participants (n = 60) were older (mean [SD] age, 67.3 [9.9] years), overweight (mean [SD] body mass index, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, 28.7 [4.6]), predominantly male (38 [63%]), and had severe OSA at baseline (mean [SD] apnea-hypopnea index, 33.1 [14.9] events/h). There were no differences observed between active and sham therapy in 24-hour systolic blood pressure (mean change on active therapy, -0.18 [95% CI, -2.21 to 1.84] mm Hg), PEP (mean change on active therapy, 0.11 [95% CI, -5.43 to 5.66] milliseconds), or FMD (mean change on active therapy, -0.17% [95% CI, -1.88% to 1.54%]). Larger differences between active and sham therapy were observed in a per-protocol analysis set (n = 20) defined as experiencing at least a 50% reduction in apnea-hypopnea index between sham and active treatment. Conclusions and Relevance: In this sham-controlled HGNS randomized clinical trial, mean 24-hour systolic blood pressure and other cardiovascular measures were not significantly different between sham and active HGNS therapy. Several methodologic lessons can be gleaned to inform future HGNS randomized clinical trials. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03359096.

Prednisone Decreases Opioid Use in Adults Undergoing Benign Oropharyngeal Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to analyze the efficacy and safety of postoperative prednisone to reduce reliance on opioids in adult benign oropharyngeal surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Single tertiary-care facility. METHODS: Patients undergoing tonsillectomy (T), tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T&A), and/or modified uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) from December 2020 to January 2023 received the standard of care postoperative management. A prednisone taper was dependent on surgeon preference. Cohorts were based on the prescription of postoperative steroids. Patients completed a survey to assess opioid usage, pain scores, and steroid compliance. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients were included. The nonsteroid cohort (N = 29) received an average of 467 ± 94.1 morphine milligram equivalents (MME), and the steroid cohort (N = 43) received an average of 285 ± 128 MME (P < 0.001). The nonsteroid cohort consumed 1.62 times more opioids than the steroid cohort (P < 0.002). There were no significant differences in complication or refill rates between treatment groups. There were no significant differences in pain scores on the day of surgery or postoperative days 1, 5, or 10 (P = 0.34, P = 0.66, P = 0.62, and P = 0.22, respectively). Patients undergoing T&A (p = 0.019) or who had current psychiatric medication use (P < 0.006) consumed significantly more opioids. Patients who received a total opioid prescription of >300 MME (40 5-mL doses of 5 mg/5 mL liquid oxycodone) consumed 2.27 times more postoperative opioids than patients with opioid prescriptions ≤300 MME (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients who did not receive steroids consumed 1.62 times more postoperative opioids compared to those who completed a steroid taper. Corticosteroid use was not associated with changes in pain scores, refill rates, or complication rates and may be considered in a multimodal approach to pain management in adults undergoing benign oropharyngeal surgery, although further study is warranted.

Patient Referral and Acceptance of Maxillomandibular Advancement for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

OBJECTIVE: Maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) is an effective surgical treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, it is unclear how many patients who are referred for MMA actually undergo surgery. This study aims to determine follow-up rates for patients referred for MMA and the reasons behind their choices. METHODS: Via retrospective review, we assessed consecutive patients with OSA intolerant to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) who underwent drug induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) between 2018 and 2020 at our institution. Patients recommended for MMA based on DISE and other findings were included. Patients were then contacted and administered an IRB-approved survey in present time. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty nine patients were referred to oral maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) for MMA consult. Seventy seven patients (48%) followed up with OMFS and 29 (18%) underwent MMA. Sixty two (40%) patients resumed CPAP. Fifty eight patients (36.5%) were lost to follow up. Seventy three patients (46%) completed our survey. Of those patients, 37 (51%) followed up with OMFS and 17 (23%) underwent MMA. Patients who did not follow up with OMFS cited the invasiveness of the surgery (39%), recovery time (17%), or both (31%) as reasons. Those who pursued consultation cited inability to tolerate CPAP (73%), not being a candidate for inspire (14%), and desire to learn about alternative treatments (14%) as reasons. Of those who did not undergo MMA, 28.6% are not using OSA treatment. CONCLUSION: Less than half of patients referred for MMA followed up, and less than half of those patients underwent MMA. Most patients cited concerns about the invasiveness of the surgery and recovery process. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 2023.

Reduced usage of upper airway stimulation therapy in patients with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Upper airway stimulation (UAS) is a hybrid surgical-medical device used to treat moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Comorbid insomnia and OSA (COMISA) is present in ∼50% of these patients. Our aim was to study UAS outcomes and adherence in patients with COMISA. METHODS: A retrospective review of 379 patients with OSA who underwent UAS implantation at a single institution between 2014 and 2021. Demographics, OSA severity metrics, and insomnia data were collected. Patients were categorized into OSA alone (OSAa) or COMISA. Objective adherence data were collected from device downloads during follow-up. Data were analyzed with using R Studio (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) and Prism (Boston, MA, USA). RESULTS: Of the 274 patients included, 148 had COMISA (54.0%) and 126 OSAa (46.0%). Average follow-up time was 2.5 years and OSAa had more males than COMISA (P < .001). Patients with COMISA had higher insomnia severity index scores than OSAa preoperatively (16 vs 8.7; P = .003). All groups showed significant decreases in objective and self-reported OSA outcomes postoperatively, but there was no difference between COMISA and OSAa. Patient with COMISA had decreased device usage (4.9 vs 5.8 h/night; P = .015) and paused therapy more often than patients with OSAa (1.4 vs 0.4 pauses/night; P < .001). Multivariate linear regression, when controlling for sex as a covariate, showed insomnia to be an independent predictor of lower UAS hours/night and more pauses/night (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COMISA use UAS therapy for shorter durations and require more breaks from therapy when compared with those with OSAa. Future research is needed to explore the underlying mechanism and improve UAS treatment adherence in patients with COMISA. CITATION: Kaffenberger TM, Chandna M, Kaki P, et al. Reduced usage of upper airway stimulation therapy in patients with comorbid insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(12):1997-2004.

Evaluating ChatGPT responses on obstructive sleep apnea for patient education.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the quality of ChatGPT responses to questions on obstructive sleep apnea for patient education and assessed how prompting the chatbot influences correctness, estimated grade level, and references of answers. METHODS: ChatGPT was queried 4 times with 24 identical questions. Queries differed by initial prompting: no prompting, patient-friendly prompting, physician-level prompting, and prompting for statistics/references. Answers were scored on a hierarchical scale: incorrect, partially correct, correct, correct with either statistic or referenced citation ("correct+"), or correct with both a statistic and citation ("perfect"). Flesch-Kincaid grade level and citation publication years were recorded for answers. Proportions of responses at incremental score thresholds were compared by prompt type using chi-squared analysis. The relationship between prompt type and grade level was assessed using analysis of variance. RESULTS: Across all prompts (n = 96 questions), 69 answers (71.9%) were at least correct. Proportions of responses that were at least partially correct (P = .387) or correct (P = .453) did not differ by prompt; responses that were at least correct+ (P < .001) or perfect (P < .001) did. Statistics/references prompting provided 74/77 (96.1%) references. Responses from patient-friendly prompting had a lower mean grade level (12.45 ± 2.32) than no prompting (14.15 ± 1.59), physician-level prompting (14.27 ± 2.09), and statistics/references prompting (15.00 ± 2.26) (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: ChatGPT overall provides appropriate answers to most questions on obstructive sleep apnea regardless of prompting. While prompting decreases response grade level, all responses remained above accepted recommendations for presenting medical information to patients. Given ChatGPT's rapid implementation, sleep experts may seek to further scrutinize its medical literacy and utility for patients. CITATION: Campbell DJ, Estephan LE, Mastrolonardo EV, Amin DR, Huntley CT, Boon MS. Evaluating ChatGPT responses on obstructive sleep apnea for patient education. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(12):1989-1995.

Comparison of CPAP and Expansion Sphincter Pharyngoplasty using the Mean Disease Alleviation Concept.

OBJECTIVE: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the typical first treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA); however, patient adherence is often suboptimal. Expansion Sphincter Pharyngoplasty (ESP) is an alternative treatment option for patients with OSA who demonstrate signs of palatal and lateral pharyngeal collapse. The aim of this study is to compare therapeutic outcomes, using the mean disease alleviation concept, for patients who underwent ESP to patients undergoing CPAP therapy. DATA SOURCES: Single-institution retrospective cohort study. METHODS: All patients who underwent ESP from 2018 to 2021 or were prescribed CPAP from December to June 2021 at our institution were assessed for inclusion. ESP patients who had pre- and post-operative sleep studies available and CPAP patients who followed up at our institution's sleep clinic were included for analysis. Charts were reviewed for demographic information and sleep study results, and treatment outcomes were measured by calculating mean disease alleviation. RESULTS: There were 77 patients in the ESP group and 107 patients in the CPAP group. AHI reduction was greater in the CPAP group (p = 0.016); however, mean disease alleviation was similar between groups (p = 0.076). One-way ANCOVA demonstrated similar MDA between groups when controlling for patient age, BMI, gender, and pre-operative AHI (F [1,177] = 2,931.6, p = 0.104). CONCLUSION: CPAP therapy provided superior reduction in AHI compared to ESP; however, overall treatment efficacy as measured by mean disease alleviation was similar for both groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 133:1513-1517, 2023.

Assessing Postoperative Recovery With Volatile Gas Versus Total Intravenous Anesthesia in Patients With and Without Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

INTRODUCTION: To determine if there is a recovery time difference between patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) when using total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) compared to volatile gas inhalational anesthesia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: OSA and Non-OSA patients were identified at a tertiary institution between January 2019 and November 2020. Non-OSA patients were defined as those who have not been formerly diagnosed with OSA. A modified STOP-BANG score (MSBS) was performed to screen Non-OSA patients for OSA. Recovery was measured by Phase I recovery time, or time it took a patient to reach ≥9/10 on the Aldrete scoring system. RESULTS: A total of 334 patients were included with 142 in the OSA cohort (59 TIVA, 83 inhalational anesthesia) and 192 in the Non-OSA cohort (119 TIVA, 73 inhalational anesthesia). In OSA patients, there was a 41.29-minute recovery time reduction when using TIVA versus sevoflurane (P < .0001). Non-OSA patients recovered faster than OSA patients when undergoing inhalational anesthesia by 46.76 minutes and TIVA by 18.58 minutes (P < .0001 and P = .0907, respectively). Non-OSA patients with a MSBS < 3 and ≥3 had a shorter recovery time compared to OSA patients when both underwent sevoflurane anesthesia (57.27 minutes, P < .0001 and 56.23 minutes, P = .040, respectively). Non-OSA patients with a MSBS of <3 had a decrease in recovery time of 26.68 minutes when compared to OSA patients who underwent TIVA (P = .0004). CONCLUSIONS: When utilizing TIVA over inhalational anesthesia, patients with OSA have significantly increased benefit in terms of reduced Phase I recovery times as compared to Non-OSA patients.

Palatal Coupling Maneuvers Do Not Predict Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator Treatment Efficacy.

OBJECTIVE(S): Maneuvers during drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), have been used as predictors for success with oral appliances. Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) promotes opening at the velum through palatoglossus coupling. In this study, we evaluate maneuvers during DISE as predictors for HGNS treatment efficacy. METHODS: We evaluated patients undergoing HGNS between November, 2014 and February, 2021. We assessed maneuvers including jaw thrust and chin lift during preoperative DISE. The impact of tongue base and palatal opening during these maneuvers were rated from 1 to 4 (1: no improvement, 2: mild improvement, 3: moderate improvement, 4: significant improvement). Patients were grouped by a score of 1-2 (weak response) or 3-4 (strong response). Apnea hypopnea index (AHI) change was calculated from the difference between preoperative and postoperative sleep study. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy one patients were included. With jaw thrust, there was no significant difference in AHI change between patients with weak or strong response at the palate (n = 68 vs. 94, 9.5 vs. 13.6, p = 0.21) or tongue base (n = 24 vs. 138, 16.6 vs. 11.3, p = 0.24). On chin lift, there was no significant difference at the palate (n = 82 vs. 18, 13.9 vs. 11.4, p = 0.63) or tongue base (n = 92 vs. 72, 10.8 vs. 14.6, p = 0.24). On multiple linear regression analysis, lower body mass index, higher preoperative AHI, and higher preoperative oxygen nadir were associated with a larger AHI change. CONCLUSION: Palatal coupling maneuvers during DISE are not predictive of AHI change with HGNS. Findings using these maneuvers should not preclude HGNS candidacy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 133:431-436, 2023.