Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2015 Sep;19(3):891-910.
doi: 10.1007/s11325-015-1125-y. Epub 2015 Feb 3.

Temperature controlled radiofrequency ablation at different sites for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Ridhwan Y Baba  1 , Arjun Mohan, V V S Ramesh Metta, M Jeffery Mador
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Temperature controlled radiofrequency ablation at different sites for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Ridhwan Y Baba et al. Sleep Breath. 2015 Sep.

Abstract

Background: This study seeks to determine the efficacy of temperature controlled radiofrequency tissue ablation (TCRFTA) to alleviate symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and reduce polysomnographic measures of OSA in the first year post-treatment.

Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Two independent searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE bibliographic databases, and Evidence Based Medicine Reviews to identify publications relevant to OSA and TCRFTA. Effectiveness of TCRFTA was measured separately for application of TCRFTA at the base of tongue and soft palate, and for multilevel intervention using the respiratory disturbance index (RDI), lowest oxygen saturation (LSAT), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), and bed partner's rating of snoring using a visual analogue scale (VAS snoring). The most recent search was conducted in April 2013. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager Version 5.2 using a relative measure of effect, i.e., ratio of means (RoM).

Results: Our initial search resulted in 29 eligible studies, and subsequently, 20 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Substantial and consistent improvement in PSG and subjective outcomes were observed post-TCRFTA in the base of tongue (BOT) and multilevel surgery groups only. Application of TCRFTA at the BOT was associated with a significant reduction in RDI (RoM 0.60, CI 0.47-0.76), ESS (RoM 0.59, CI 0.51-0.67), and VAS snoring (RoM 0.48, CI 0.37-0.62) and increase in lowest oxygen saturation (RoM 1.05, CI 1.01-1.10). Similarly, a significant reduction in RDI (RoM 0.61, CI 0.47-0.80) and ESS (RoM 0.79, CI -0.71 to 0.88) was observed after multilevel TCRFTA, but substantial heterogeneity between these studies was observed.

Conclusion: TCRFTA is clinically effective in reducing RDI levels and symptoms of sleepiness in patients with OSA syndrome when directed at the base of tongue or as a multilevel procedure.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Laryngoscope. 2009 Aug;119(8):1621-7 - PubMed
    1. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 1994 Jan;149(1):149-54 - PubMed
    1. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1991 Nov;144(5):1130-3 - PubMed
    1. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2003 Jun;128(6):848-61 - PubMed
    1. Acta Otolaryngol. 2000 Oct;120(8):981-5 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources