Objective: To evaluate the efficacies of transcutaneous stimulation of genioglossus on remaining mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP).
Methods: A total of 22 patients diagnosed with mild-to-moderate OSAS by polysomnography (PSG) after UPPP were recruited from Sleep Center of First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University from February 2013 to October 2013 and underwent transcutaneous stimulation of genioglossus therapy at night. Prior to and during treatment overnight polysomnography examination was performed. Moreover, the sleepiness of patients was assessed according to the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) before and after treatment. Comparison was made to observe the effects of treatment on PSG parameters and daytime ESS.
Results: Compared with pre-treatment, nocturnal apnea hypopnea index (AHI) (9.3 ± 4.2 vs 18.3 ± 6.8), microarousal index (MAI) (6.5 ± 3.8 vs 11.2 ± 4.8), radio of duration pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) < 90% to total sleep time (T90) ((5.1 ± 4.0)% vs (9.5 ± 4.0)%) and score of daytime ESS (8.8 ± 3.3 vs 9.4 ± 3.1) all significantly decreased (all P < 0.01) while mean SpO2 ((95.5 ± 1.0)% vs (94.4 ± 1.1)%) and minimal SpO2 ((88.6 ± 2.9)% vs (84.9 ± 4.6)%) were both significantly elevated (both P < 0.001). None of them experienced obvious discomforts during treatment.
Conclusion: Submental transcutaneous electrical stimulation of genioglossus is an effective treatment for remaining mild-to-moderate OSAS after UPPP surgery.