Home Respiratory Polygraphy to Detect Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome after Supracricoid Partial Laryngectomy

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Sleep Medicine
• Oncology

Background:

• Supracricoid partial laryngectomy preserves laryngeal function for advanced cancer but can lead to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).
• OSAS post-laryngectomy may be overlooked due to a lack of patient-reported symptoms.
• Respiratory polygraphy offers a portable and accurate alternative to polysomnography for OSAS diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the results of respiratory polygraphy in patients who underwent supracricoid partial laryngectomy.
• To identify the prevalence of OSAS in this patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• A case series study involving 13 patients who had supracricoid partial laryngectomy.
• Data collected included age, surgery details, BMI, cardiovascular risk factors, Epworth score, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI).
• Respiratory polygraphy was used for OSAS diagnosis.

Main Results:

• 77% of the 13 male patients (mean age 62) presented with OSAS.
• OSAS severity varied: 1 severe, 6 moderate, 3 mild cases, and 3 simple snorers.
• Only 23% of patients reported daytime drowsiness, highlighting a disconnect between objective findings and subjective symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Patients undergoing supracricoid partial laryngectomy frequently have undiagnosed OSAS, even without typical symptoms.
• Respiratory polygraphy is a valuable tool for systematic OSAS screening post-surgery.
• Routine polygraphy after decannulation is recommended to prevent missed OSAS diagnoses.