Health-related quality of life in obstructive sleep apnea patients treated with maxillomandibular advancement surgery: A cross-sectional pilot study (PILOT-QOMAS)

Background Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea(OSA) have a lower Health-Related Quality of Life(HRQoL) than individuals without OSA. Maxillomandibular Advancement(MMA) surgery effectively reduces OSA severity, which is often the focus of research. However, evaluating HRQoL seems essential to understand the treatments overall impact. Study design The primary objective of this cross-sectional pilot study is to evaluate the post-operative HRQoL of patients who had MMA surgery for OSA, compared to a control group of patients who had bimaxillary surgery for facial skeletal deformity. The primary outcome was the ‘General health’ domain of the Short Form 36 Health Survey(SF-36). Secondary outcomes were assessed through additional questionnaires. These additional questionnaires offer a broader perspective on patients' HRQoL across domains beyond just sleep-related aspects. Results The sample included 27 patients, of whom 17 were female and 10 were male. In the OSA group the mean AHI decreased from 38 pre-operatively to 17 post-operatively. The ‘General health’ domain of the SF-36 revealed no statistically significant difference between the groups(OSA:62.50(40.00–75.00); control:65.00(55.00–85.00); (p = 1.000). The secondary outcomes evaluating HRQoL similarly demonstrated no significant differences across any domains. Interpretation Post-operative HRQoL in OSA patients treated with MMA surgery is comparable to the HRQoL of patients without OSA. Together with the objective outcomes indicating that MMA surgery effectively reduces OSA severity, this suggests that the MMA surgery might be an effective treatment option for OSA in both subjective and objective outcomes.