Abstract

Background: Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) are prevalent conditions among patients of different ages, with varying airway causes and risk factors. First line of management is conservative, but surgical interventions like uvulopalatoplasty is also a common approach in snoring and OSAS. The aim of this research was to study the long-term efficacy of radiofrequency coblation uvulopalatoplasty in the treatment of OSAS. Methodology: It was a questionnaire based cross sectional study conducted in Aljabr OPH ENT Hospital in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. All Patients who underwent coblation uvulopalatoplasty for soft palate and uvula redundancy were included. Patients’ quality of sleep was assessed using Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and Thornton snoring scale pre-operatively and post-operatively retrospectively. Results: Fifty three participants responded to their interviews, consisting of 96.2% males, weighing 88.57 kg ± 14.19, and height was 171.11 cm ± 7.92 on average. Body mass index was 30.37 ± 5.27, however, most of the participants were overweight (25–29.9). The ESS score changed significantly post-operatively with mean score of 3.13 ± 3.057 (p < 0.0001). Thornton snoring scale post-operative scores changed with high significant values, i.e., 4.74 ± 3.033 (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study showed significant reduction of ESS scores among patients who underwent coblation uvulopalatoplasty. Coblation uvulopalatoplasty is an effective treatment option in adults with OSAS. Further studies with large sample size and more accurate testing quality are recommended for more accurate analysis of sleep quality.

Key words: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, Epworth sleepiness scale, uvulopalatoplasty