Abstract
Background
The first description of a patient with obstructive sleep apnea was in ‘The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club’ published by English writer Charles Dickens in 18361. The first introduction of the terms ‘sleep apnea syndrome’ and ‘obstructive sleep apnea syndrome’ was by Guilleminault et al in 1967. Subsequently, Guilleminault coined the term ‘upper airway resistance syndrome’ in 19932.
Objectives
This paper aims to examine published articles between January 2008 and January 2019 on the different palatal surgeries performed on OSA patients and the treatment outcomes, which in turn will be used to determine two things. The first being the effectiveness of various palatal surgical techniques in treating OSAS and the second (if applicable) the most effective of the palatal surgical techniques in treating OSAS.
Patients and Methods
The current review followed the guidelines of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis statement 2009 (PRISMA)5. The detailed steps of methods were described elsewhere as well as PRISMA checklist. The quality of relevant studies was assessed using NIH quality assessment tool for observational cohort and cross -sectional studies as well as NIH tool for quality assessment for case series studies.
Results
Meta-analyses of relevant studies showed that the surgical technique that achieved the best reduction on AHI was the lateral pharyngoplasty followed by the Anterior Palatoplasty, with a significant mean reduction of [(SMD= -0.848, 95% CI (-1.209 – -0.487), p-value<0.001) and (SMD= -0.864, 95% CI (-1.234 – -0.494), p-value<0.001), respectively]. The technique responsible for the best improvement in ESS was the Relocation Pharyngoplasty, with a significant mean reduction of [SMD= -0.998, 95% CI (-1.253 – -0.743), p-value<0.001]. Minimal O2 saturation level improved most with the Expansion Sphincter Pharyngoplasty, with a significant mean reduction of [SMD= 1.011, 95% CI (0.581 – 1.440), p-value<0.001]. The surgical procedure that result in the best post-operative VAS was Z-Palatoplasty, with a significant mean reduction of [SMD= -1. 551, 95% CI (-2.049 – -1.052), p-value<0.001]. soft palate length change with a significant mean reduction of [SMD= -2.219, 95% CI (-2.730 – 1.708), p-value<0.001]. Finally, meta-analyses of relevant studies showed that expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty achieved the overall highest success rate [Event rate= 77%, 95% CI (65.4%– 85.5%), p-value<0.001]
Conclusion
The best procedure for treating OSA varies from patient to patient and there is no universal cure-all. Careful patient selection and pre-operative evaluation are mandatory.
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