Continuous positive airway pressure vs palatal surgery: Outcomes in obstructive sleep apnea treatment

Abstract

Objective

To compare short- and long-term clinical outcomes of continuous positive airway pressure versus palatal surgical interventions such as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, including their impacts on sleep apnea-related cardiac, respiratory, and metabolic comorbidities.

Study design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Database study using the TriNetX Network of Tennessee (2014–2024).

Methods

Adult patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and treated with either continuous positive airway pressure or palatal surgery were identified. Propensity score matching was performed to balance demographics and preexisting comorbidities between groups. Primary outcomes were cardiopulmonary events, and secondary outcomes were new-onset type 2 diabetes and weight change. Odds ratio with 95 % confidence intervals were computed across outcome measures.

Results

A total of 5030 continuous positive airway pressure and 220 palatal surgery patients met inclusion criteria. Following matching, 220 patients remained in each group. Patients treated with continuous positive airway pressure had significantly higher odds of post-treatment electronic medical record coding of acute respiratory failure (OR 4.67, [2.27, 9.60]), pulmonary hypertension (OR 20.0, [2.71, 147.7]), and new-onset atrial fibrillation/flutter (OR 3.32, [1.60, 6.96]) compared to the surgical cohort. No significant differences were observed in myocardial infarction, stroke, or new-onset type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion

Patients treated with continuous positive airway pressure had higher odds of post-treatment electronic medical recording coding of cardiorespiratory complications than those undergoing palatal surgery. These findings highlight potentially important differences between treatment modalities in long-term obstructive sleep apnea related comorbidities.