Postoperative Pain and Risk of Hemorrhage Following Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty With and Without Tonsillectomy - A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a disorder with an estimated prevalence of up to 30%. It is characterized by repetitive pharyngeal collapse during sleep and associated with witnessed apneas, snoring, daytime sleepiness and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. One of the therapeutic options for OSAS is uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), usually including tonsillectomy (TE). Main complications after UPPP include secondary hemorrhage and intense pain. The aim of the study was to investigate if pain intensity after surgery correlates with the risk of hemorrhage and if there is a difference in the risk of hemorrhage after UPPP with TE and UPPP without TE. Material and Methods: All patients who had undergone UPPP, expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty (ESP) or coblation assisted uvulopalatoplasty (CAUP) at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the Medical University of Graz between 2014 and 2016 were included. Data was collected retrospectively from patients’ records and included demographic data, AHI, surgical procedure, postoperative bleeding episodes, pain levels during hospital stay, analgesic medication and length of hospital stay. Statistical tests were performed to compare the incidence of hemorrhage between different types of surgery and to evaluate the relationship between pain intensity and risk of hemorrhage. A p-value of

Date of Award	2017
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Medical University Graz
Supervisor	Peter Valentin Tomazic (Supervisor) & Axel Wolf (Co-supervisor)