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Functional rhinoplasty alone improves obstructive sleep apnea

Functional rhinoplasty may have the potential to significantly improve the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with nasal obstruction, with the most prominent improvement in patients with a BMI less than 30.

A total of 26 patients presented with a main complaint of nasal obstruction and were diagnosed with septal and nasal valve obstruction. Patients underwent functional rhinoplasty with no other airway procedures and had preoperative and postoperative polysomnography.

Endonasal functional rhinoplasty was performed under intubation anesthesia by one surgeon at a single center. Open rhinoplasty was not an option for these patients.

The mean apnea-hypopnea index dropped from 24.7 preoperatively to 16.0 postoperative, which represents a decrease of 35%.

The mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale score significantly improved to 7.5 from 11.5.

Nasal Obstruction symptom Evaluation scores showed a mean improvement from 91.6 to 33.6, which represents a 63% improvement.

When excluding patients with a BMI of 30 or more, the mean apnea-hypopnea rates decrease from 22.5 preoperatively to 9.6 postoperatively, a 57% improvement.

The researchers found BMI and age increase with severity of obstructive sleep apnea.

Disclosure: Shuaib reported no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a complete list of other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.