Background: 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 the effectiveness of various palatal surgical techniques in treating OSAS and 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). 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 (Apnea/Hypopnea Index) 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 Epworth Sleepiness Score (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 results in the best post-operative Visual Analogue Scale (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 changes 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.
References
[1]
Guilleminault, C. and Abad, V.C. (2004) Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndromes. The Medical Clinics of North America, 88, 611-630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2004.01.002
[2]
Dickins, C. (1836) The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. Chapman and Hall, London.
[3]
Rasmusson, L., Bidarian, A., Sennerby, L. and Scott, G. (2012) Pathophysiology and Treatment Options in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: A Review of the Literature. International Journal of Clinical Medicine, 3, 473-484. https://doi.org/10.4236/ijcm.2012.36087
[4]
Johnson, J.T. and Braun, T.W. (2008) Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. In: Myers, E.N., Ed., Operative Otolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, Saunders Elsevier, Philadelphia, 151-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-4160-2445-3.50025-X
[5]
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J. and Altman, D.G., The PRISMA Group (2009) Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. PLoS Medicine, 6, e1000097. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
[6]
Tawfik, G.M., Dila, K.A., Mohamed, M.Y., Tam, D.N., Ahmed, A.M. and Huy, N.T. (2019) A Step by Step Guide for Conducting a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Simulation Data. Tropical Medicine and Health, 47, Article No. 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-019-0165-6
[7]
Van Rijkom, H.M., Truin, G.J. and Van‘t Hof, M.A. (1998) A Meta-Analysis of Clinical Studies on the Caries-Inhibiting Effect of Fluoride Gel Treatment. Caries Research, 32, 83-92. https://doi.org/10.1159/000016436
[8]
Borenstein, M., Hedges, L., Higgins, J. and Rothstein, H. (2005) Comprehensive Meta-Analysis: A Computer Program for Research Synthesis [Computer Software]. Biostat, Englewood, NJ.
[9]
Begg, C.B. and Mazumdar, M. (1994) Operating Characteristics of a Rank Correlation Test for Publication Bias. Biometrics, 50, 1088-1101.
[10]
Duval, S. and Tweedie, R. (2000) Trim and Fill: A Simple Funnel-Plot-Based Method of Testing and Adjusting for Publication Bias in Meta-Analysis. Biometrics, 56, 455-463. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0006-341X.2000.00455.x
[11]
Sher, A.E., Schechtman, K.B. and Piccirillo, J.F. (1996) The Efficacy of Surgical Modifications of the Upper Airway in Adults with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. Sleep, 19, 156-177. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/19.2.156
[12]
Plaza, G., Pang, K.P., Baptista, P.M., Reina, C.O., Chan, H.Y., Pang, K.A., et al. (2018) Palate Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A 17-Year Meta-Analysis. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 275, 1697-1707.
[13]
Katsantonis, G.P., Friedman, W.H., Krebs, F.J. and Walsh, J.K. (1987) Nasopharyngeal Complications Following Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. The Laryngoscope, 97, 309-314. https://doi.org/10.1288/00005537-198703000-00009
[14]
Sumida, K., Yamashita, K. and Kitamura, S. (2012) Gross Anatomical Study of the Human Palatopharyngeus Muscle Throughout Its Entire Course from Origin to Insertion. Clinical Anatomy, 25, 314-323. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.21233
[15]
Li, H., Cheng, W., Chuang, L., Fang, T., Hsin, L., Kang, C. and Lee, L. (2013) Positional Dependancy and Surgical Success of Relocation Pharyngoplasty among Patients with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, 149, 506-512. https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599813495663