Drug-induced sleep endoscopy in assessing airway patency – own experiences

Introduction. Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder of breathing during sleep. Lack of clinical improvement after previously performed laryngological procedures is an indication for endoscopic examination during drug – induced sleep. Drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) provides important information about functional upper airways patency. Material and methods. The study was performed in patients in whom other treatment methods had not been effective. DISE was performed in these patients. Continuous intravenous propofol infusion was given as general anesthetic to ensure the safety of the procedure. Results. From 2007 to 2017, 2897 procedures for snoring and sleep apnea were performed at the MML Medical Center. At this time, 176 DISE examinations were performed. Causative treatment methods were determined by the means of questionnaire, CBCT, laryngological examination, and DISE examination. Subjective improvement of apnea symptoms was achieved in 80% of patients. In 70% of cases, snoring decreased. The rest of the patients are required to look for systemic causes of cardiological, neurological gastrological, or endocrine origin. Conclusions. In our patients, the use of the DISE examination enabled to precisely determine the location of the vibration and of the collapse of the respiratory tract. DISE enables to effectively diagnose the cause of sleep disorders when other methods, such as cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) or cephalometry are not sufficient. Keywords