Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a major public health issue. Robotic tongue-base reduction surgery is being developed, but needs assessment. The present study reports clinical and polygraphic results at 6 months' follow-up.
Method: Single-center prospective study of 8 patients undergoing transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for severe OSAS.
Results: Mean age was 47 years. M/F sex ratio was 5:3. Initial body-mass index ranged from 18 to 35kg/m2. Mean Epworth score was 12. Mean preoperative apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 47 (range, 36-60). At 6 months, only 1 patient did not meet usual success criteria (AHI<20 with>50% decrease); 2 patients had residual AHI between 10 and 20; the other 5 had non-significant event rates.
Conclusion: TORS tongue-base reduction showed promising results, which need confirmation on long-term multicenter studies.
Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; Tongue base; Tongue-base reduction; Transoral robotic surgery.
Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.