Short-term Outcomes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Surgery: Revisiting the Complication and Mortality Rates following Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

Abstract

Objectives:

1) Determine current complication rates following uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) per the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgery Quality Improvement Program 2006-2010 data (NSQIP). 2) Compare this more diverse sample population to a larger but less diverse VA study (1991-2001 data).

Methods:

Using the NSQIP database, we examined a prospective cohort of adults undergoing UPPP for obstructive sleep apnea with or without other simultaneous procedures performed between the years of 2006 and 2010. We determined the serious complication and mortality rates. Serious complications were defined by 17 specific life threatening complications. Patient mortality was recorded up to 30 days post-operatively.

Results:

On average, patients (n = 808) were 41 years old, had a body mass index (BMI) of 32.6, were predominantly white (57%), and were predominantly male (74.8%). The serious complication rate was 3.5% (28/808) (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.0% to 4.9%), and the mortality rate was 0.1% (1/808) (95% CI 0.0% to 0.2%). Mallampati, age, BMI, or year of operation did not have a significant effect. For multilevel surgery, the odds ratio for complications was 1.99 (95% CI 0.89 to 4.44).

Conclusions:

Based on prospectively collected quality improvement data available in NSQIP, the incidence of serious complications and mortality from UPPP surgery in a more diverse patient population is not significantly different from a larger, less diverse 2004 VA study. Post-operative complications in multilevel surgery for obstructive sleep apnea may be slightly higher than the complication rate in patients who only received single level surgery.