Effectiveness of septoplasty with or without inferior turbinate reduction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract

Objective To assess the results of traditional septoplasty with or without partial reduction of the inferior turbinate of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) owing to a rhinogenic cause. Background Sleep-related breathing disorders and obstructive sleep apnea particularly still on a growing interest in diagnosis and treatment modalities. Patients and methods This was a prospective study that included 60 patients who had obstructive sleep apnea and had a significant nasal obstruction. It was carried out at Otorhinolaryngology and Chest Department in El-Menoufia University Hospital during the period between 20 January 2016 and 1 July 2017. A written consent was taken from all patients. A polysomnography was planned before surgery and 3 months after surgery for all patients. The consequence of these two specific surgeries on sleep-related variables was evaluated and compared. Results In group A, which was subjected to septoplasty with turbinectomy, the apnea–hypopnea index showed a significant reduction (16.333±3.03 and 13.5700±4.2; P=0.001) compared with group B, which was subjected to septoplasty alone. The other variables (neck circumference and BMI) were still unchanged. Subjective assessments obtained with Epworth sleepiness scale preoperatively and postoperatively showed a significant reduction in the mean. The P value of group A was 0.005 and group B was 0.003. Conclusion The intranasal surgery has a good effect on the subjective quality of sleep in OSA patients, and that there might be an added effect on AHI in selected patients with both septal deviation and hypertrophy of the inferior turbinates.

Keywords

• deviated septum
• nasal obstruction
• obstructive sleep apnea