Reviewing the systematic reviews in OSA surgery

Area of Science:

• Sleep Medicine
• Otolaryngology
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common condition with surgical treatments.
• Previous systematic reviews on OSAS surgery have yielded conflicting results.
• A critical evaluation of existing systematic reviews is needed to clarify surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate the quality, strengths, and conclusions of systematic reviews on adult obstructive sleep apnea surgery.
• To provide an overview of the current evidence regarding the effectiveness of OSAS surgery.

Main Methods:

• An overview of systematic reviews was conducted.
• Searched MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases (inception to April 2013).
• Assessed methodological quality using AMSTAR and evidence quality using GRADE.

Main Results:

• Included 11 systematic reviews, encompassing 378 studies.
• Reviews generally had low quality (GRADE) and low to moderate quality (AMSTAR).
• Surgery showed significant improvement in sleepiness and snoring, but apnea-hypopnea index results varied significantly.

Conclusions:

• Obstructive sleep apnea surgery is linked to improved outcomes in many studies.
• The quality and level of evidence from systematic reviews require improvement.
• Further high-quality research is necessary to definitively establish the efficacy of OSAS surgery.