OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is a widely accepted procedure for the management of snoring, but its role in the treatment of @entity27 is currently unclear. The objective of the study was to evaluate the role of LAUP in treating moderate and @entity27 . STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of a surgical treatment protocol for @entity27 . METHODS: Between October 1993 and January 1999, 80 @entity1 with moderate or @entity27 and a significant component of @entity3885 were treated with surgery at the Department of Otolaryngology at Northwestern University Medical School (Chicago, IL). Surgery consisted of LAUP with tonsillectomy (if tonsils were present) with the @entity1 under general anesthesia or LAUP alone with local anesthesia (if the tonsils were absent). No @entity1 received traditional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. Sixty-four of the 80 @entity1 underwent both preoperative and postoperative polysomnograms. Surgical "response" was defined as a 50% decrease in the @entity27 index (AHI) (the total number of apneic and hypopneic events per hour of sleep); surgical "cure" was defined as a 50% decrease in AHI and a final AHI of less than 20. RESULTS: The surgical response rate was 59% (38 of 64 @entity1 ), and the surgical cure rate was 39% (25 of 64 @entity1 ). Twelve @entity1 (18.8%) had a higher AHI after surgery. The AHI (mean +/- SD) changed significantly from 51.4 +/- 30.9 preoperatively to 26.3 +/- 20.8 on postoperative polysomnogram (P = 7.0 x 10-9). Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty alone was performed in 33 @entity1 with a response rate of 61% and a cure rate of 42%. Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty with tonsillectomy was performed in 31 @entity1 with a response rate of 58% and a cure rate of 35%. The overall incidence of nasopharyngeal insufficiency was 0%. CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggested that LAUP with adjunctive tonsillectomy is an effective treatment for @entity1 with @entity27 and @entity3885 with a lower complication rate than standard surgical therapy (uvulopalatopharyngoplasty).

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty and tonsillectomy for the management of XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity27 :: ('MESH:D020181', 'Disease') :: ['severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome', 'apnea-hypopnea', 'obstructive sleep apnea syndrome'] @entity3885 :: ('MESH:D008173', 'Disease') :: ['retropalatal obstruction']
@entity27 :: (MESH:D020181,Disease) :: ['obstructive sleep apnea syndrome']
