Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome with myofunctional oropharyngeal therapy: Experience in public Hospital of Chile

Abstract

Introduction: The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) affects about 2%-4% of adults. CPAP is the first indication to treat moderate and severe cases, however the treatment is tolerated in only 50%-70% of patients. Therapy with myofunctional oropharyngeal (TMO) exercises helps to reduce upper airway collapsibility by streng- thening the oropharyngeal musculature, and in the last decades had demonstrated good efficacy in variated groups of OSA patients. Aim: To study TMO effectivity in OSA patients. Material and method: We reviewed retrospectively the clinical records of 12 (7 fe- male) mild and moderate unselected OSA patients. Clinical and polysomnographic data were analyzed before and after TMO. Results: The mean age of patients was 65.0 ±9.0 years and median BMI was 26.7 kg/m2. TMO was associated to a significant reduction in median of Epworth somnolence scale (11.0 vs. 7.0), median apnea hypopnea index (13.4 vs 9.0 events/h), and decrease in cervical circumference. There was a tendency to improve quality of NREM sleep with increases in N3 stage and decrease in arousal index. Conclusion: In a real clinical context, TMO reduced the severity of OSA in 41.6% in the studied patients. Because of its safety and low cost, TMO should be introduced as a therapeutic option in public sleep units in Chile.