Inclusion of the first cervical nerve does not influence outcomes in upper airway stimulation for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea

• Published in: The Laryngoscope Vol. 130; no. 5; p. E382
• Main Authors: Kumar, Ayan T, Vasconcellos, Adam, Boon, Maurits, Huntley, Colin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.2020
• Subjects: obstructive sleep apnea; surgical treatment of obstructive sleep apnea; Sleep medicine; quality of life
• ISSN: 1531-4995
• DOI: 10.1002/lary.28256

Upper airway stimulation (UAS) has demonstrated efficacy in the management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Branches of the hypoglossal nerve that selectively activate tongue protrusor and stiffener muscles are included within the stimulation cuff electrode. The first cervical nerve (C1) is often also included to stimulate additional muscles contributing to tongue protrusion and stabilization. The purpose of this study was to determine whether inclusion of the C1 translates into treatment efficacy, decreased voltage requirement, and improved outcomes in patients utilizing UAS. Single-center, retrospective cohort study. One hundred fourteen patients who received a UAS implant at our institution and underwent posttreatment polysomnography were evaluated. Stimulation cuff electrodes in 87 patients included the C1; those in the remaining 27 patients did not include the C1. Demographic data, voltage data, and pre- and posttreatment apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), O nadir, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) data were collected for all patients. There was no significant difference in stimulation voltage, or posttreatment AHI, O nadir, and ESS between the two cohorts. Treatment success, as measured by posttreatment AHI < 20 with a 50% reduction, was similar regardless of C1 inclusion. The same was seen for the percent of patients with AHI < 15 and AHI < 5 after treatment. The distributions of age and body mass index, as well as pre-treatment AHI, O nadir, and ESS were also not significantly different between treatment groups. The current study has demonstrated that inclusion of the C1 in the stimulation cuff electrode of the upper airway stimulator may not provide any additional benefit in therapy for OSA. 4 Laryngoscope, 130:E382-E385, 2020.