Abstract
Aim
To investigate changes in upper airway volume parameters measured by computerized tomography scans in patients with surgically treated by anterior palatoplasty of whom having pure snoring and mild-moderate obstructive sleep apnea.
Method
A prospective study on consecutively anterior palatoplasty performed pure snoring and obstructive sleep apnea patients. Computerized tomography scans were obtained preoperatively and following anterior palatoplasty procedure to measure changes in upper airway volume. Patients underwent diagnostic drug induced sleep endoscopy to assess the site of obstruction. Preoperative and postoperative measurements were compared using student’s t test and Chi-square test.
Results
Twenty-two patients (16 men and 6 women, age 48.22 ± 9.23, body mass index 25.85 ± 2.57) completed the trial. Anterior palatoplasty was associated with an increase in total upper airway volume from 4.81 ± 1.73 cm3 before treatment to 6.57 ± 2.03 cm3 after treatment (p < 0.005). Change in soft palate thickness did not vary significantly (p < 0.039). The mean soft palate length has changed from 4.13 ± 0.41 to 3.93 ± 0.51 cm (p < 0.001). The preoperative and postoperative measurements of cross-sectional areas and volumes all showed significant difference except velopharynx minimal lateral airway dimension. The operational procedure increased the total upper airway volume much more in men than in women (p < 0.05).
Conclusion
Results of this study indicate that anterior palatoplasty operation appears to produce significant increase in upper airway volume and cross sectional area. It does not seem to have an effect on lateral airway dimension. Computerized tomography is a quick and noninvasive imaging technique that allows for quantitative assessment of the velopharyngeal patency changes.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Selcuk, A., Ozer, T., Esen, E. et al. Evaluation of effects of anterior palatoplasty operation on upper airway parameters in computed tomography in patients with pure snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 274, 2183–2188 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-016-4448-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-016-4448-9