Comparison of CPAP and Expansion Sphincter Pharyngoplasty using the Mean Disease Alleviation Concept

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) is the typical first treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA); however, patient adherence is often suboptimal. Expansion Sphincter Pharyngoplasty (ESP) is an alternative treatment option for patients with OSA who demonstrate signs of palatal and lateral pharyngeal collapse. The aim of this study is to compare therapeutic outcomes, using the mean disease alleviation concept, for patients who underwent ESP to patients undergoing CPAP therapy.

Single-institution retrospective cohort study.

All patients who underwent ESP from 2018 to 2021 or were prescribed CPAP from December to June 2021 at our institution were assessed for inclusion. ESP patients who had pre- and post-operative sleep studies available and CPAP patients who followed up at our institution's sleep clinic were included for analysis. Charts were reviewed for demographic information and sleep study results, and treatment outcomes were measured by calculating mean disease alleviation.

There were 77 patients in the ESP group and 107 patients in the CPAP group. AHI reduction was greater in the CPAP group (p = 0.016); however, mean disease alleviation was similar between groups (p = 0.076). One-way ANCOVA demonstrated similar MDA between groups when controlling for patient age, BMI, gender, and pre-operative AHI (F [1,177] = 2,931.6, p = 0.104).

CPAP therapy provided superior reduction in AHI compared to ESP; however, overall treatment efficacy as measured by mean disease alleviation was similar for both groups.

3 Laryngoscope, 133:1513-1517, 2023.