Short-term results of upper airway stimulation in obstructive sleep apnoea patients: the Amsterdam experience

This paper aimed to: retrospectively analyse single-centre results in terms of surgical success, respiratory outcomes and adverse events after short-term follow up in obstructive sleep apnoea patients treated with upper airway stimulation; and evaluate the correlation between pre-operative drug-induced sleep endoscopy findings and surgical success.

A retrospective descriptive cohort study was conducted, including a consecutive series of obstructive sleep apnoea patients undergoing implantation of an upper airway stimulation system.

Forty-four patients were included. The total median Apnoea-Hypopnea Index and oxygen desaturation index significantly decreased from 37.6 to 8.3 events per hour (p < 0.001) and from 37.1 to 15.9 events per hour (p < 0.001), respectively. The surgical success rate was 88.6 per cent, and did not significantly differ between patients with or without complete collapse at the retropalatal level (p = 0.784). The most common therapy-related adverse event reported was (temporary) stimulation-related discomfort.

Upper airway stimulation is an effective and safe treatment in obstructive sleep apnoea patients with continuous positive airway pressure intolerance or failure. There was no significant difference in surgical outcome between patients with tongue base collapse with or without complete anteroposterior collapse at the level of the palate.