Obstructive Sleep Apnea Surgery Practice Patterns in the United States: 2019

Area of Science:

• Otolaryngology
• Sleep Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) significantly impacts public health.
• Surgical interventions are a key treatment modality for OSA.
• Understanding procedural volumes and costs is crucial for healthcare planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the volumes and facility costs/charges for adult OSA airway surgeries in the U.S. in 2019.
• To investigate associations between patient/facility characteristics and OSA surgical procedure type and costs.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing nationwide inpatient and ambulatory surgery databases (NIS, NASS) for 2019 data.
• Analysis of OSA surgical procedures, including palate surgery, hypopharyngeal surgery, hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS), and maxillomandibular advancement.
• Chi-squared tests and regression analyses to examine procedure volume, type, costs, and associated patient/facility factors.

Main Results:

• Approximately 18,526 OSA surgeries were performed in 2019, with palate surgeries being most common.
• Hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS) procedures incurred higher facility costs/charges compared to other OSA surgeries.
• Older patients (≥40 years) were more likely to receive HNS, while younger patients favored palate surgery. Non-white patients had lower odds of HNS compared to white patients.

Conclusions:

• Surgical treatment for OSA is utilized by a small percentage (0.03%-0.77%) of U.S. adults with the condition annually.
• Patient demographics (age, race) and facility characteristics are associated with the type of OSA surgery performed and its associated costs.