Survey of short-term patient satisfaction after surgery for obstructive sleep apnea

Background: To investigate the level of satisfaction of patients who received surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: A patient satisfaction survey (PSS) was administered three months after surgery to 76 patients who received either a uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) alone, or in combination with a septomeatoplasty (SMP), or a midline laser glossectomy (MLG). Patient satisfaction determinants were also explored. Results: In general, 93.4% of patients rated their overall satisfaction as "excellent" or "very good". High satisfaction levels (excellent + very good 90%) were observed in the dimensions of "professional skill", "personal manner", and "explanation of condition". By contrast, lower satisfaction levels (excellent + very good < 90%) were observed for "perioperative discomfort". There were no significant differences among the UPPP alone, UPPP + SMP, and UPPP + MLG groups for any dimension of satisfaction (p > 0.05). Older patients had decreased overall levels of satisfaction (adjust R² = 0.1, p = 0.02). Conclusions: The preliminary results reveal a high overall level of satisfaction after surgery for OSA in this short-term survey. However, modest satisfaction with perioperative discomfort was also noted. Combined nasal or tongue base surgeries can be performed with patient satisfaction comparative to that of UPPP alone. Age may confound satisfaction levels in patients receiving OSA surgery.