Abstract

This study investigated the effect of surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SARME) on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) with or without pterygomaxillary separation. The study included 32 patients (13 males, 19 females) who underwent SARMEfor maxillary narrowing and had no other systemic or maxillofacial surgery history. OSAS risk assessment of the patients was performed with the STOP-Bang questionnaire in the pre-surgery (T0) and post-surgery (T1) periods. A significant decrease was detected in the STOP-Bang scores of all participants in the post-surgery (T1) period (p=0.048). While a small decrease was observed in the STOP-Bang scores in the patients who underwent pterygomaxillary separation, the scores did not change in the group without separation. However, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (p=0.477). SARME is an effective surgical method that reduces OSAS symptoms. Assessments with the STOP-Bang questionnaire show the benefits of this method, especially in terms of expanding the nasal airway and reducing respiratory resistance. Further studies are required to further examine the effect of the method.

Key words: Obstructive sleep apnea, STOP-Bang, sleep apnea, maxillary expansion