There is controversy about the effect of pharyngeal surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on positive airway pressure (PAP) adherence, and the related results of meta-analysis have not yet been available. Therefore, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the effect of pharyngeal OSA surgery on PAP therapy parameters such as optimal pressure levels and usage time. We selected studies investigating optimal PAP levels or usage time before and after pharyngeal OSA surgery, regardless of the study design. Pharyngeal OSA surgery included uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and its variants, tonsillectomy, Pillar implants, radiofrequency ablation, tongue base surgery and its variants, and genioglossus advancement. Studies in which isolated nasal surgery was performed were excluded. The random-effects model was used due to significant heterogeneity among the studies. Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis of optimal PAP levels, and five studies in the meta-analysis of PAP usage time. After pharyngeal OSA surgery, the summed optimal PAP level was significantly decreased (standardized mean difference (SMD), -1.113; 95% confidence interval (CI), -1.667 to -0.559)), and the summed usage time of PAP was significantly increased (SMD, 0.794; 95% CI, 0.259 to 1.329). This study illustrated that pharyngeal OSA surgery lowered optimal PAP levels and enhanced PAP usage time. The results of the meta-analysis contribute to our understanding of the role of pharyngeal OSA surgery in patients with PAP intolerance.
Keywords: continuous positive airway pressure; obstructive; pharynx; sleep apnea.