CPAP therapy prevents increase in blood pressure after upper airway surgery for obstructive sleep apnoea

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy following uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) to prevent blood pressure (BP) elevation during sleep. Methods Sixteen normotensive patients with OSA were subjected to UPPP with or without septoplasty. These patients were instrumented for 24 h of ambulatory BP recording, polysomnography, nocturnal urinary catecholamine and pain evaluation using a visual analogue scale in the day prior to surgery (D−1), following the surgery (D+1) and 30 days later (D+30). For the D+1, the patients were divided into two groups: the without CPAP therapy group and the with CPAP therapy group. Results The apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI) significantly increased in the patients without CPAP therapy compared with the D−1 (74 ± 23 vs. 35 ± 6 times/h, p