[Continuous positive airway pressure therapy after uvulopalatopharygoplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if uvulopalatopharygopalasty (UPPP) compromised continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.

METHODS: Automated continuous positive airway pressure(Auto CPAP) was applied to treat 15 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) whose apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) was still higher than 20 after UPPP, and also it was used in the treatment of 32 randomly selected OSAS patients who had not had any treatment before. The treatment results of these 2 groups were compared.

RESULTS: It was found that AHI and apnoea index(AI) between the 2 groups after Auto CPAP treatment were not significantly different (P > 0.05), however, lowest SO2(LSO2) after Auto CPAP treatment of the UPPP group was higher than that of the other group (P < 0.01). The AHI, AI and LSO2 in each group were significantly different before and after Auto CPAP treatment (P < 0.01 in both cases).

CONCLUSION: It is suggested that CPAP remains effective after UPPP and UPPP doesn't compromise CPAP therapy.