Thirty-four patients (32 male, 2 female; mean age 53 +/- 7 years) with confirmed
sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) were studied before and after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Clinical symptoms were tiredness,
excessive daytime sleepiness and
snoring. All patients were
overweight. Patients underwent a thorough physical and oropharyngeal examination and polysomnography before and 3 months after surgery. On the basis of post-operative results, patients are divided into 3 groups: --group 1: 16 cured patients:
apnea index (A.I./h) 38 +/- 17 before and 4.4 +/- 4
apneas/h sleep after surgery. Improved nocturnal
hypoxemia: mean minimum
oxyhemoglobin saturation (SAO2) before and after UPPP in NREM sleep 83 +/- 4% v. 90 +/- 4% in REM sleep 76 +/- 11% v. 85 +/- 7%. Uninterrupted sleep is restored; --group 2: 8 improved patients: A.I./h of 64 +/- 11 before and 20 +/- 6 after UPPP: improved nocturnal
hypoxemia: mean minimum SAO2 in NREM sleep 74 +/- 10% before and 86 +/- 6% after UPPP: in REM sleep 59 +/- 9% before and 79 +/- 6% after UPPP, lower amount and percentage of fragmented sleep; --group 3: 10 non-improved patients: A.I./h unchanged 55 +/- 22% before and 50 +/- 20% after UPPP. Persistent nocturnal
hypoxemia: mean minimum SAO2 in NREM sleep 76 +/- 13 before and 81 +/- 12% after UPPP: in REM sleep 63 +/- 16% before and 65 +/- 24% after UPPP. Sleep remains fragmented. In this last group patients are more
overweight and all suffer from severe SAS with greater nocturnal
oxyhemoglobin desaturation. Surgical treatment by UPPP is shown to be effective for 70% of our patients. Better results are obtained when SAS is less severe and
overweight less important.