Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37395677›Full record

ArticleSleep2023

Mean disease alleviation between surgery and continuous positive airway pressure in matched adults with obstructive sleep apnea.

James D Every, Stuart G Mackay, Anders W Sideris, Timothy Q Do, Andrew Jones, Edward M Weaver

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Sleep, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Variability in Physical Exam Documentation for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Risk of Motor Vehicle Accidents in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Comparative Analysis of CPAP Versus Surgery.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

James D EveryDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, NSW. Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5449-389X
Stuart G MackayDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, NSW. Australia.
Anders W SiderisDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, NSW. Australia.
Timothy Q DoDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, The Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, NSW. Australia.
Andrew JonesDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, The Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, NSW. Australia.
Edward M WeaverDepartment of Otolaryngology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

objectivesPolysomnography parameters measure treatment efficacy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), such as reduction in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). However, for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, polysomnography measures do not factor in adherence and thus do not measure effectiveness. Mean disease alleviation (MDA) corrects polysomnography measures for CPAP adherence and was used to compare treatment effectiveness between CPAP and multilevel upper airway surgery.

methodsThis retrospective cohort study consisted of a consecutive sample of 331 patients with OSA managed with multilevel airway surgery as second-line treatment (N = 97) or CPAP (N = 234). Therapeutic effectiveness (MDA as % change or as corrected change in AHI) was calculated as the product of therapeutic efficacy (% or absolute change in AHI) and adherence (% time on CPAP of average nightly sleep). Cardinality and propensity score matching was utilized to manage confounding variables.

resultsSurgery patients achieved greater MDA % than CPAP users (67 ± 30% vs. 60 ± 28%, p = 0.04, difference 7 ± 3%, 95% confidence interval 4% to 14%) in an unmatched comparison, despite a lower therapeutic efficacy seen with surgery. Cardinality matching demonstrated comparable MDA % in surgery (64%) and CPAP (57%) groups (p = 0.14, difference 8 ± 5%, 95% confidence interval -18% to 3%). MDA measured as corrected change in AHI showed similar results.

conclusionsIn adult patients with OSA, multilevel upper airway surgery and CPAP provide comparable therapeutic effectiveness on polysomnography. For patients with inadequate CPAP use, surgery should be considered.

Indexed as

Continuous Positive Airway PressureSleep Apnea, ObstructiveAdultHumansPolysomnographyRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeCPAPobstructivesleep apneasurgerytreatment effectiveness

Identifiers

PMID37395677

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.