title: Pharyngeal morphology: a determinant of successful nasal surgery for sleep apnea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the effectiveness of nasal surgery on the occurrence of sleep apnea, and to analyze the pharyngeal morphology of apnea patients whose sleep-disordered breathing was ameliorated postoperatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five consecutive patients with apnea and nasal obstruction underwent polysomnography and a morphological examination of the upper airway before and after nasal surgery, which included septoplasty, inferior turbinectomy, and/or functional endoscopic sinus surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sleep apnea was significantly ameliorated in only eight patients. The postoperative reduction in the apnea-hypopnea index tended to be lower in those with a low-positioned soft palate, reflected in an elevated modified Mallampati score, and a narrow retroglossal space. Neither swollen tonsils nor narrow fauces affected the surgical outcome. Regression analysis showed that the modified Mallampati score (P < .05) and the retroglossal space (P < .05) were significant predictors of postoperative improvement in the apnea-hypopnea index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among sleep apnea patients suffering from nasal obstruction, nasal surgery is effective in those with a high-positioned soft palate and/or a wide retroglossal space.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morinaga
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yasuma
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Hidehito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Mitsuhiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tagaya
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teranishi
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakashima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction / Q000601:surgery*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D017286:Polysomnography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome