Maxillomandibular advancement for persistent obstructive sleep apnea afterphase I surgery in patients without maxillomandibular deficiency

Objective: To assess the outcomes of maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) fo r the treatment of persistent obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) after phase I reconstruction in patients who do not have maxillomandibular defici ency. Methods: From January 1997 to September 1998, 25 patients previously treated with phase I reconstruction (uvulopalatoplasty, genioglossus advanc ement, anchor hyoid suspension) who did not hac-e maxillary and mandibular deficiencies underwent MMA for persistent OSA. Variables examined include a ge, sex, body mass index (BMI), respiratory disturbance index (RDI), lowest oxygen saturation (LSAT), and cephalometric data. In addition, a minimum o f 6 months after surgery, questionnaires containing a 10-cm visual analogue scale (0 = no change, 10 = drastic change) were mailed to the patients, Th e questionnaire subjectively assessed the patient's perception of the facia l appearance after surgery, whether there was pain or discomfort of the tem poromandibular joint, the overall satisfaction with the treatment outcomes, and whether the patient would recommend the operation to other patients. R esults: Nineteen (76%) questionnaires were completed and returned by 15 men and 4 women, The mean age was 45.3 +/- 6.6 years and the mean BMI was 33.1 +/- 7.1 kg/m(2). The mean RDI improved from 63.6 +/- 20.8 to 8.1 +/- 5.9 e vents per hour, and the mean LSAT improved from 73.3 +/- 13.2% to 88.1 +/- 4.1% One patient was de fined as an incomplete responder (RDI >20), One pat ient reported transient pain and discomfort of the temporomandibular joint. Although all of the patients felt that there were changes in their facial appearance after surgery, 18 of the 19 patients gave either a neutral or a favorable response to their facial esthetic results. All of these patients were satisfied with the overall outcomes and would recommend the treatment to others. Conclusion: MMA is a highly effect ive treatment for persistent OSA after phase I surgery in patients who otherwise do not have maxillomand ibular deficiency. The patient satisfaction is extremely high. Furthermore, previous concerns of unfavorable postoperative facial esthetics and tempor omandibular joint dysfunction do not appear to be significant.