Authors: Andrea De Vito Sabrina Frassineti Maria Laura Panatta Filippo Montevecchi Pietro Canzi Claudio Vicini
Publish Date: 2011/05/28
Volume: 269, Issue: 1, Pages: 321-330
Abstract
Our objective is to evaluate the outcomes of the RadioFrequency RF energy for tissue thermoablation therapy in sleepdisordered breathing patients and retrospective evaluation of the RF therapy after a 5year followup period in terms of snoring and apnea reduction From June 1999 to June 2009 we enrolled patients suffering from simple snoring and patients with obstructive apnea hypopnoea syndrome OSAHS A visual analog scale VAS questionnaire was used to evaluate the level of snoring and was filled out in short and longterm periods whereas in OSAHS patients an unattended polysomnography was performed before and after a minimum of 6 months from the last RF therapy treatment session The presence of postoperative pain was assessed by means of a specific VAS Results stated that 187/250 patients finished the RF therapy In the simple snoring group mean snoring VAS decreased from 748 to 37 P 00001 In the postoperative snoring group mean snoring VAS decreased from 76 to 36 P 00001 In the mildtomoderate grade OSAHS group AHI decreased from a mean value of 181 to a mean value of 129 P 00001 Furthermore we recorded a mean postoperative pain VAS of one in each group of patients Our results suggest an important role of RF therapy in the improvement of snoring solution but not for a significant AHI reduction Level of evidence 2c
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