2001 Volume 13 Issue 2 Pages 243-250
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) performed by one surgeon for a period of 9 years was evaluated on the basis of preoperative and postoperative data to determine whether the number of UPPP the surgeon performed and the period of experience in performing them have any effects on the outcome of the surgery. We examined nocturnal sleep, respiratory resistance, and MRI of the upper airway in patients preoperatively and 3 to 6 months after surgery for the 9 year period from 1990 to 1998. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the 3 year period in which they were treated: period I (n=23), period II (n=10), and period III (n=16). Among patients in period I, the AHI improvement rate was 69.6%, and the proportion of 25% or more improvement was 56.5%. Among those in period II, the AHI improvement rate was 90%, and the proportion of 25% or more improvement was 70%. Among those in period III, the AHI improvement rate was 93.8%, and the proportion of 25% or more improvement was 75%. Comparisons of the results among patients in periods I, II, and III showed that the surgeon's experience has significantly favorable effects on the AHI improvement rate, postoperative respiratory resistance through the mouth, and postoperative transverse diameter of the pharyngeal cavity. The number of cases in which UPPP was performed in period I was 46. The period and amount of experience in performing UPPP are therefore regarded as being a prerequisite for the surgeon to master the UPPP method.
