Post‐operative Complication Rate Comparison Between Airway Surgery and Upper Airway Stimulation Using NSQIP and ADHERE

Objective Postoperative complication rates were compared between obstructive sleep apnea surgery (OSAS) and hypoglossal nerve upper airway stimulation (UAS). Study Design Cohort. Setting Multi‐institutional international databases. Methods OSAS data were collected from the NSQIP database (2014; American College of Surgeons National Surgery Quality Improvement Program). UAS data were obtained from the ADHERE registry (Adherence and Outcome of Upper Airway Stimulation for OSA International Registry; 2016–December 2019). ADHERE comorbidities and complications were categorized to match NSQIP definitions. A chi‐square test was used for proportion P values. Results There were 1623 UAS procedures in ADHERE and 310 in NSQIP. The UAS group was older than the OSAS group (mean ± SD, 60 ± 11 vs 42 ± 13 years) but similarly male (75% vs 77%) and overweight (body mass index, 29 ± 4 vs 29 ± 3 kg/m 2 ). There was a higher proportion of hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease in the UAS cohort. Palatopharyngoplasty was the most common surgical procedure (71%), followed by tonsillectomy (25%). UAS operative time was longer (132 ± 47 vs 54 ± 33 minutes). Postoperative length of stay was not normally distributed, as 71% of UAS stays were <1 day as opposed to 40% of OSA stays ( P <. 0001). Thirty‐day return to the operating room related to the procedure was 0.1% for UAS and 4.8% for OSAS ( P <. 0001). Surgical site infections were 0.13% for UAS and 0.9% for OSAS ( P =. 046). Conclusion The UAS cohort was older and more likely to have comorbid hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Despite baseline differences, the postoperative complication rate was lower with UAS than with OSAS.