Objective:

To investigate the risk of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) undergoing continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy versus sleep surgery.

Approach:

• Study Design: A retrospective cohort study utilizing the TriNetX national clinical database to analyze a nationwide patient cohort.
• Patient Cohort: Included 2,832,437 patients with OSA identified using ICD-10 codes, categorized into three groups: CPAP, sleep surgery, and no treatment.
• Surgical Procedures: Sleep surgeries included uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and hypoglossal nerve stimulation.
• Statistical Analysis: Propensity score matching was employed for comparability, and MVA incidence was analyzed along with OSA-related comorbidities.

Key Findings:

• Patients undergoing sleep surgery had a lower incidence of MVAs (3.403%) compared to the CPAP cohort (6.072%) and the no-treatment group (4.662%).
• The odds ratio for MVA incidence in the no-treatment group compared to the sleep surgery cohort was 1.214 (P = .0051).
• The odds ratio in the sleep surgery cohort compared to the CPAP cohort was 0.545 (P < .0001).
• Patients with OSA who experienced MVAs were more likely to have comorbidities such as hypertension (58.8% vs. 45.4%) and obesity (42.3% vs. 34.7%).

Interpretation:

Conclusion:

Sources:

• Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery