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Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device OPAD to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior
Published on: June 10, 2013
Role of Pain in Adults Undergoing Soft Tissue and Maxillomandibular Advancement Surgery for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Ghedak Ansari1, Jeanne A Darbinian2, Samuel A Collazo3
1Department of Otolaryngology Children's Hospital of Richmond at Medical College of Virginia Richmond Virginia USA.
Objective:
In adult patients who undergo soft tissue and maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) sleep surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), we identify preoperative pain diagnoses and postoperative pain medication dispensing patterns by surgery type.
Methods:
This retrospective cohort chart review study examines adults who underwent sleep surgery for OSA at an integrated healthcare delivery system (2009-2017). Data obtained from electronic sources included demographics, surgery type, presentation to the emergency department, hospital readmission, and postoperative medication dispensings.
Results:
A total of 2287 adult patients were identified. The average age at surgery was 40.8 ± 12.5 years. Surgeries performed included (n, %) uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (1312, 57.3%) tonsillectomy (577, 25.2%), genioglossus muscle advancement (GA) alone or combined with MMA (108, 4.7%) and MMA alone (170, 7.4%), adenoidectomy (60, 2.6%), tongue and palate surgery (54, 2.4%), and tongue reduction (6, 0.3%). A total of 811 (35.5%) had a preoperative pain-related diagnosis, and 336 (14.7%) had a preoperative diagnosis of depression. Of the total cohort, 912 (39.9%) had a preoperative opioid prescription. In our cohort, 91.7% were prescribed outpatient opioid medication postoperatively. This varied by surgery type, with the highest proportion of opioid prescription dispensings observed in the soft tissue surgery group (non-MMA ± GA) and the lowest in the maxillofacial surgery group (MMA ± GA). In contrast, the maxillofacial surgery group had the highest proportion of nonopioid prescriptions dispensed, while the soft tissue surgery group had the lowest.
Conclusions:
Non-hypoglossal nerve stimulation (non-HGNS) sleep surgery for OSA is associated with high (nearly 92%) postoperative opioid dispensings. Adult patients undergoing non-HGNS sleep surgery are likely at increased risk of opioid complications given the high prevalence of preoperative opioid use, chronic pain, and depression.
Level Of Evidence:
4.
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