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Complications Result from Sleep Apnea Surgery
Complications from surgery to correct sleep apnea are more likely to occur in the very overweight, people with more severe sleep apnea and those who have other medical problems, according to a new study.
In some severe cases of sleep apnea, patients may opt for surgery called uvulopalatopharyngoplasty to correct the condition. About 1.6% of patients suffer serious complications, and about 0.2% who die within 30 days after surgery.
This study, by a team at the University of California, San Francisco, looked at 3,130 patients (97 percent men, average age 50) who underwent the surgery between 1991 and 2001.
The researchers found that serious complications following surgery were more likely to occur in patients who had more severe sleep apnea, higher body mass index, and those who had additional non-nasal surgeries at the same time and other medical problems.
The findings were published in the October issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology.
