Evaluation of Surgical Learning Curve Effect on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Outcomes in Upper Airway Stimulation

Objective: An increasing number of facilities offer Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS) with varying levels of experience. The goal was to quantify whether a surgical learning curve exists in operative or sleep outcomes in UAS. Methods: International multi-center retrospective review of the ADHERE registry, a prospective international multi-center study collecting UAS outcomes. ADHERE registry centers with at least 20 implants and outcomes data through at least 6-month follow-up were reviewed. Cases were divided into two groups based on implant order (the first 10 or second 10 consecutive implants at a given site). Group differences were assessed using Mann-Whitney U-tests, Chi-squared tests, or Fisher’s Exact tests, as appropriate. A Mann-Kendall trend test was used to detect if there was a monotonic trend in operative time. Sleep outcome equivalence between experience groups was assessed using the two one-sided tests approach. Results: Thirteen facilities met inclusion criteria, contributing 260 patients. Complication rates did not significantly differ between groups (P = .808). Operative time exhibited a significant downward trend (P