title: Palatoplasty as the technique of choice for prevention of obstructive sleep apnea secondary to surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to compare patients treated with pharyngoplasty and those treated with palatoplasty for velopharyngeal insufficiency to establish what surgical procedure poses the highest risk for developing sleep apnea. The hypothesis tested in this study is that the incidence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome associated with pharyngoplasty is greater than that associated with palatoplasty for velopharyngeal insufficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients were taken from the Institution FISULAB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational cohort analytic study.
  
  
  METHODS
  An overnight polysomnographic study was used to determine the incidence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome following pharyngoplasty was shown to be significantly higher than after palatoplasty. The apnea-hypopnea index, also called the respiratory disturbance index, was 12.7 in the pharyngoplasty group and 1.35 in the palatoplasty group (p < .001). When obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was stratified into different levels of severity according to the values of respiratory disturbance index, there were noticeable differences between these two groups. In the palatoplasty group, one patient had mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. In the pharyngoplasty group, two patients had mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, one patient had moderate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and two patients had severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When comparing the apnea-hypopnea index (i.e., respiratory disturbance index) of patients treated for velopharyngeal insufficiency with palatoplasty versus pharyngoplasty, we observed an important difference between the groups, with the highest indices in the pharyngoplasty group.
authors.forename: Jose Rolando Prada
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Madrid
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eduardo Nieto
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Echeverry
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tavera
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oliveros
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010159:Palate / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017286:Polysomnography; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014681:Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*