The clinical application progress and potential of drug-induced sleep endoscopy in obstructive sleep apnea

Background and Objective: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterized by nocturnal repetitive upper airway (UA) collapse. For sleep physicians, the recognition of UA collapse characteristics is critical for understanding OSA mechanisms and developing individualized treatment plans. Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) is an exam during simulated sleep that allows the dynamic assessment of the UA of individuals with OSA. The initial recognition of DISE was to locate the sites of UA obstruction and direct the surgical selection of OSA since it was introduced in the 1990s. After approximately 30 years of studies, based on advances in endoscopic operative techniques and innovative treatments of OSA, DISE had been performed to explore mechanisms and comprehensive treatments related to UA collapse. Methods: This article reviewed contemporary DISE advances, including indications and contraindications, technique of induced sleep, endoscopic operation, UA characteristics classification.Results and Conclusions: Precise selection based on the association between collapse patterns and treatment modalities, such as continuous positive airway pressure, oral appliance, positional therapy, robotic surgery and neurostimulator implanting, is the future research prospect based on DISE.Key messagesDISE provides sleep physicians with valuable information about the upper airway collapse characteristics and dynamic changes during sleep.The studies based on DISE findings improve the selectivity and efficiency of treatment modalities, including classical therapies such as continuous positive airway pressure, oral appliance, positional therapy, and innovative therapies such as neurostimulator implanting and robotic surgery, promote the advancement of OSA precision medicine.