Short-term postoperative CPAP may improve the outcomes of velopharyngeal surgery for obstructive sleep apnea.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of short-term postoperative continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on the outcomes of velopharyngeal surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This study included 119 OSA patients who underwent velopharyngeal surgery. Based on the results of postoperative pulse oximetry, the patients were divided into 3 groups: intervention, control, and observation. Patients with oxygen desaturation index (ODI) > 10 and lowest SpO2 < 90% were randomly assigned to the CPAP intervention group and non-CPAP control. Patients with ODI ≤10 or lowest SpO2 ≥ 90% were assigned to the non-CPAP observation group. Patients in the intervention group completed at least 3 months of CPAP treatment. Postoperative polysomnography data were compared to assess the difference of prognosis between the three groups.

RESULTS

Baseline data showed no significant differences between the three groups except the observational group showed a significantly larger tonsil size relative to the intervention and control groups. However, there was no significant difference in terms of tonsil size between the control and intervention groups. The surgical success rate of the intervention group was 80.65%, whereas it was 55.17% in the control group, with significant difference. The success rate of the observation group was 85.71% which was significantly different from that of the control group, but not the intervention group.

CONCLUSION

Short-term postoperative CPAP treatment may improve the outcomes of velopharyngeal surgery for OSA in patients who have respiratory events related hypoxia after surgery. Further studies are necessary for the underlying mechanisms.