Beyond Usual Care: A Multidisciplinary Approach Towards the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.

Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is common and characterised by repeated apnoeas and hypopnoeas while asleep due to collapse of the upper airway. OSA can have a significant impact on physical and mental health and, when left untreated, is associated with increased risk of developing cardiovascular ill health. Besides cardiorespiratory implications excessive daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, limited memory function and lack of concentration are some further symptoms caused by OSA. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is the evidence-based treatment to maintain upper airway patency in patients with moderate to severe OSA. Proper adherence to CPAP therapy successfully abolishes nocturnal apnoeas and hypopnoeas, and diminishes consequences of uncontrolled OSA, such as treatment resistant hypertension. However, long term adherence to CPAP remains an unresolved limitation of this method. Although alternatives to CPAP therapy may be less efficacious, there is a variety of non-CPAP treatments that includes conventional lifestyle advice, postural advice, the use of mandibular advancement devices (MADs), surgical treatment options, such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, tonsillectomy, or maxillomandibular advancement, and the use of electrical stimulation of the upper airway dilator muscles. Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation is available as an invasive (HNS) and a transcutaneous (TESLA) approach. For the management of "difficult-to-treat" patients with OSA, particularly in those in whom first line therapy proved to be unsuccessful, a multidisciplinary team approach may be helpful to incorporate the available options of non-CPAP therapy and provide appropriate choices. Symptom control, patient-related outcome measures and long-term cardiovascular health should be prioritised when choosing long-term therapies to treat OSA. The inclusion of patients in the choice of successful management options of their condition will facilitate better long-term adherence. Advancing clinical trials in the field will further help to resolve the relative lack of evidence for effective non-CPAP methods.

Upper Airway Stimulation in Patients Who Have Undergone Unsuccessful Prior Palate Surgery: An Initial Evaluation.

Upper airway stimulation therapy (UAS) is a new option for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients unable to tolerate continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). We set out to evaluate the effectiveness of UAS in patients who have undergone prior palate surgery. We designed a retrospective review and evaluated patients undergoing UAS at 2 academic centers. We recorded demographic and pre- and postoperative polysomnogram (PSG) data. We compared the cohort of patients who had undergone prior palate surgery, "prior surgery," to the cohort who had not, "no prior surgery." A total of 164 patients were included in the study: 23 in the prior surgery and 141 in the no prior surgery groups. The mean age was significantly higher in the no prior surgery group ( P = .020). There were no other significant differences when comparing demographic, quality of life, or PSG variables between cohorts. UAS therapy is an option to treat OSA in patients having undergone unsuccessful prior palate surgery.

Efficacy of sleep position modification to treat positional obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: To assess the feasibility and efficacy of sleep position modification in preventing supine sleep and improving sleep-disordered breathing and relevant clinical outcomes in positional obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. PATIENTS/METHODS: Eighty-six consecutive participants with moderate positional OSA on routine diagnostic polysomnography underwent a randomized controlled parallel group design trial of 4-weeks treatment using a sleep position modification device (active) or sleep hygiene advice (control). Outcomes were measured at baseline and following a 4-week treatment period. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in the amount of supine sleep in the active group (mean ± SD change from baseline, active group 99.5 ± 85.2 minutes, control group 68.6 ± 103.2 minutes, p = 0.002), and an improvement in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) (active group reduced by 9.9 ± 11.6, control group reduced by 5.3 ± 13.9, p = 0.013). Post-hoc analyses indicated that positional therapy was most effective for patients with baseline AHI cut-off above 20 (p = 0.02). Logistic regression showed that a treatment response (AHI < 10) was more likely in the active group (OR = 5.57), and those with higher baseline nadir oxygen desaturation (OR = 1.95) and non-supine AHI (OR = 0.55). There were no significant improvements in quality of life, daytime sleepiness, mood, symptoms, neuropsychological measures or blood pressure in the active group. CONCLUSIONS: The position device utilized in this study was effective in reducing supine sleep and AHI, which was significant in those with baseline AHI ≥20. Longer duration studies of physical treatments that modify sleep position are needed to explore further whether additional clinical benefits in are achievable.