Objective: To investigate the effect of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) on postoperation continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).
Methods: 66 OSAHS patients underwent UPPP were recruited and all were followed up for more than 12 months. Among them 24 patients were treated with classical UPPP, 42 had modified UPPP treatment. The efficacy of surgery was compared between the two groups. The post-operation tolerance to CPAP pressure was tested during sleep CPAP titration in 24 classical UPPP patients and in 15 modified UPPP patients.
Results: The validity ratio is 58.3% and 61.9% 12 months after operation. There was no significant difference between classical UPPP and modified UPPP in regard to surgery efficacy, and most of them need further CPAP therapy. During CPAP treatment, compared with untreated OSAHS patients, the highest CPAP pressure classical UPPP group could tolerant decreased significantly, however, classical UPPP group did not. 16.7% of classical UPPP patients had severe mouth air leak before optimal CPAP pressure was titrated, but none of the 15 post modified UPPP failed to sequential CPAP therapy.
Conclusion: The efficacy was similar between modified UPPP and classical UPPP treatment, post modified UPPP patients had better tolerance to sequential CPAP treatment. It may be better to treat OSAHS patients with modified UPPP instead of classical UPPP.