Virtual surgical planning improves surgical outcome measures in obstructive sleep apnea surgery.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Determine the feasibility and accuracy of using virtual surgical planning (VSP) to direct the surgical and polysomnography (PSG) outcomes of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). STUDY DESIGN: Prospective case series. METHODS: Skeletal and soft tissue dimensions were measured from computed tomography (CT) to include posterior airway space (PAS) diameters at the occlusal (PAS-O) and mandibular (PAS-M) plane, position of the maxilla, and tooth-to-lip distance. All patients underwent an in-lab attended PSG whereby apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), respiratory disturbance index (RDI), and lowest oxyhemoglobin saturation percent (LSAT) were measured preoperatively and at least 9 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Four patients with OSA demonstrated a mean AHI and RDI of 60.1 and 69.5 events per hour, respectively. The mean preoperative LSAT was 76%. Mean CT-based measures for PAS-O and PAS-M were 3.08 mm and 9.03 mm, respectively. VSP was used to direct the amount of advancement and impaction in maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery. The mean PAS-O and PAS-M postoperative measures significantly increased to 8.15 and 14 mm (P < .004), whereas the mean tooth-to-lip relationship stayed the same, 3.17 to 3.18, P = .98. The AHI and RDI significantly improved to 2.83 and 4.5 events per hour, respectively, P = .03, whereas the LSAT improved from 76% to 87%. CONCLUSIONS: VSP for MMA in OSA patients is feasible and safe while offering improvements in the predictability of airway change and tooth-to-lip measures.