Objective: To compare the efficacy of tonsillectomy and expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty (ESP) in the surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Methods: OSA patients with Friedman grade III-IV tonsil hypertrophy diagnosed with polysomnography were separated into two groups according to the surgery performed, as the classic tonsillectomy group (Group 1) and the ESP group (Group 2). The primary endpoint of the study was to determine the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) value.
Results: Group 1 comprised 24 patients with median preoperative AHI of 19.7 and postoperative AHI of median 11.8 (p = .0001). Group 2 comprised 29 patients with median preoperative AHI of 25.1 and postoperative AHI of median 16.3 (p = .0001). Nine (37.5%) of the 24 patients in Group 1 accepted as cure (79.1%). Eight (27.5%) of the 29 patients in Group 2 accepted as cure (72.4%).
Conclusion: There was no superiority of ESP over tonsillectomy in patients with lateral pharyngeal obstruction.
Keywords: Apnea-Hypopnea Index; Upper airway surgery; expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty; obstructive sleep apnea; tonsillectomy.