Consensus Statements among European Sleep Surgery Experts on Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Part 2 Decision-Making in Surgical Management and Peri-Operative Considerations

Abstract

Background: Reaching consensus on decision-making in surgical management and peri-operative considerations regarding snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among sleep surgeons is critical in the management of patients with such conditions, where there is a large degree of variability. Methods: A set of statements was developed based on the literature and circulated among eight panel members of European experts, utilizing the Delphi method. Responses were provided as agree and disagree on each statement, and the comments were used to assess the level of consensus and develop a revised version. The new version, with the level of consensus and anonymized comments, was sent to each panel member as the second round. This was repeated for a total of five rounds. Results: The final set included a total of 71 statements: 29 stand-alone and 11 with 42 sub-statements. On the 33 statements regarding decision-making in surgical management, there was 60.6%, 27.3%, and 6.1% consensus among all eight, seven, and six panelists, respectively. On the 38 statements regarding the peri-operative considerations, there was 55.3%, 18.4%, and 15.8% consensus among all eight, seven, and six panelists, respectively. Conclusions: These results indicate the need for an expanded review of the literature and discussion to enhance consensus among the sleep surgeons that consider surgical management in patients with snoring and OSA.