Surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnoea is the periodic reduction (hypopnoea) or cessation (apnoea) of airflow during sleep. The syndrome is associated with loud snoring, disrupted sleep and observed apnoeas. Beside conservative treatments there are a range of 8 broad categories of operative treatments for this condition. Surgical treatments aim to relieve the obstruction by either increasing the surface area

OBJECTIVES: Surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea aims to relieve the obstruction by increasing the surface area of the airway, bypassing the pharyngeal airways or removing a lesion. The objective of this review was to assess the effects of any type of surgery for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea.

SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Airways Group trials register and reference lists of articles. We contacted experts in the field, research dissemination bodies and other Cochrane Review Groups.

SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised and quasi-randomised trials comparing any surgical intervention for obstructive sleep apnoea with other surgical or non-surgical interventions for obstructive sleep apnoea or no intervention.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: No completed trials were identified.

MAIN RESULTS: No studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria.

REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need for high quality randomised controlled trials to be carried out in the field of surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea. More research should also be undertaken to identify and standardise techniques to determine the site of airways obstructions.