A prospective randomized study of a dental appliance compared with uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea.

The enthusiasm for uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) has declined in recent years, partly because of a lower success rate over time and partly because of adverse effects. Reports on the beneficial effects of dental appliances exist, but only one prospective randomized study has been published comparing dental appliances with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. No study has been published comparing dental appliance treatment with UPPP. Ninety-five male patients with confirmed OSA, subjective daytime sleepiness and an apnoea index (AI) > 5 were randomized for subsequent treatment with either a dental appliance or UPPP. There were 49 patients in the dental appliance group and 46 in the UPPP group. Thirty-seven patients in the dental appliance group and 43 in the UPPP group completed the 12-month follow-up. The success rate (rate of patients with at least a 50% reduction in AI) for the dental appliance group was 95%, which was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than the 70% success rate for the UPPP group. According to the criteria for OSA (apnoea index > or = 5 or apnoea/hypopnoea index > or = 10), 78% of the dental appliance group and 51% of the UPPP group were normalized after 12 months. The difference between the groups was significant (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that the dental appliance technique is useful in the treatment of mild to moderate OSA.

Effects and adverse events of a dental appliance for treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea.

In a prospective study, 95 patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) were randomised to receive either surgical treatment, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, (4-6 patients) or treatment with a nocturnal dental appliance for mandibular advancement (49 patients). Of the 49 dental appliance patients, 37 completed the 12-month follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and adverse events of dental appliance treatment from a one-year perspective. Somnography was employed to measure treatment effects before and 12 months post-treatment. At the 12-month control, somnography was performed twice: the first time with the dental appliance and the second time without it. Adverse events were recorded 2 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment was initiated. The patients used the dental appliance on average 6 nights/week. After 12 months of treatment, the apnoea, apnoea/hypopnoea, oxygen desaturation, and snoring indices decreased significantly. Ninety-five per cent of the patients reduced their apnoea index by > or = 50% and 78% of the patients were normalised following treatment. At the somnographic registration without the dental appliance, the values were found comparable to what they were before treatment. Mandibular mobility and occlusion were constant throughout the study. The adverse events resulting from using the dental appliance were relatively minor and infrequent, and no serious complications were observed except for two patients who reported pain from the temporomandibular joint. In conclusion, the dental appliance has been shown to be a valuable treatment method for mild to moderate OSA with few adverse events in the stomatognathic system or other complications.

Quality of life assessment of treatment with dental appliance or UPPP in patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea. A prospective randomized 1-year follow-up study.

The objectives of this study were: to evaluate the change in the three quality of life (QOL) dimensions of vitality, contentment and sleep before intervention and 1 year after treatment with a dental appliance or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP); to compare the effect of treatment between these two treatment groups on these three dimensions; and to determine the relation between the QOL scores and somnographic values. Ninety-five patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) (AI > 5) were randomly allocated to either a dental appliance or UPPP treatment group. Seven patients withdrew after randomization but before treatment, leaving 88 patients eligible for treatment. The patients were examined using somnography and administered the Minor Symptoms Evaluation-Profile (MSE-P), a QOL questionnaire, before and 1 year after intervention. Thirty-seven patients in the dental appliance group and 43 in the UPPP group completed the 1-year follow-up. The mean values for the three dimensions vitality, contentment and sleep improved significantly 1 year after intervention in the dental appliance and UPPP groups. No difference in the QOL scores at baseline was noted between the groups. One year after intervention the UPPP group showed significantly more contentment than the dental appliance group. In contrast, vitality and sleep dimensions did not differ between the two treatment groups. No significant correlations were observed between the QOL scores and somnographic values. In conclusion, quality of life improved significantly in the dental appliance and UPPP groups 1 year after intervention. However, the dental appliance group showed a lower level of contentment than the UPPP group, even though the somnographic values were superior in the former group.

Propafenone versus disopyramide for treatment of chronic symptomatic ventricular arrhythmias. A multicenter study.

The efficacy and safety of propafenone, 150 mg four times daily, were compared with those of disopyramide, 100 mg four times daily, in a randomized single-blind, cross-over study in 38 patients with symptomatic premature ventricular complexes (PVCs). The 24-hour ambulatory ECG, employed for assessing antiarrhythmic efficacy, was analyzed blindly. The median reduction in the number of PVCs was higher with propafenone than with disopyramide (91.4% vs. 63.5%, respectively, p less than 0.01). A reduction of at least 80% was achieved by propafenone in 22 (59%) and by disopyramide in 16 patients (43%) (NS). Ventricular tachycardias (VTs) were abolished by propafenone in eight out of 11, and by disopyramide in five out of nine patients with VTs (NS) a possible proarrhythmic effect was seen in three patients during disopyramide and in one patient during propafenone treatment. Micturition disturbances (p less than 0.001) and a dry mouth (p less than 0.01) were more commonly associated with disopyramide than with propafenone. In conclusion, in the given dosages, propafenone was superior to disopyramide in suppressing PVCs and had fewer side-effects.

Anterior-inferior mandibular osteotomy in treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

In a prospective randomized study on treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, anterior-inferior mandibular osteotomy with the purpose of stretching the suprahyoidal muscle was performed as one of the treatment methods. Ten men aged 20 to 65 years, without cardiovascular or neurologic disease, with normal maxillomandibular relation, and having an apnea index between 5 and 25 were included in the study. After a specially designed osteotomy of the chin, the anterior suprahyoidal muscles were detached, stretched approximately 10 to 12 mm, and sutured. The chin was then placed in its original position and post-operative evaluation was performed. Although there were initial reports of decreased daytime sleepiness and less snoring after surgery, the results after 12 months were discouraging. Somnographic registration (apnea index, apnea/hypopnea index, and oxygen desaturation index) as well as cephalometric analysis failed to show positive results. Hence, suspension of the suprahyoidal muscles as a method of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome cannot be recommended.