Michael Lysdahl

Does uvulopalatopharyngoplasty inhibit automobile accidents

Patients with rhonchopathy, which includes obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), who report sleepy spells at the wheel do poorly on simulated monotonous driving tests and have a twofold to threefold increase in traffic accidents. To assess whether drivers with rhonchopathy (heavy snoring, sleep disturbances, and daytime sleepiness) cause fewer automobile accidents after uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), the car accident rate for the first 5 years after surgery was compared to the rate of the 5 years immediately before the operation. Data were collected by means of a self‐report questionnaire. Fifty‐six patients with rhonchopathy were compared to 142 controls without rhonchopathy who had been subjected to nasal surgery. The response rates were 96% and 94%, respectively. The reported habitual sleepiness while driving had disappeared in 87% (P<.001) of drivers who had the problem preoperative. The accident risk reduction (corrected for mileage) in patients was almost four times greater than the reduction in controls (P<.001) after surgery. The relative rate of patients involved in any single‐car accident fell by 77% (P<.05), and the relative rate of single‐car accidents fell by 83% (P<.001). It is concluded that drivers with rhonchopathy have an increased risk for car accidents, especially single‐car accidents, but that this risk returns to normal after UPPP.

Clinical Use and Material Wear of Polymeric Tracheostomy Tubes

Objectives: The objectives were to compare the duration of use of polymeric tracheostomy tubes, i.e., silicone (Si), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyurethane (PU), and to determine whether surface changes in the materials could be observed after 30 days of patient use.

Material Wear of Polymeric Tracheostomy Tubes : A Six-Month Study

The objectives were to study long‐term material wear of tracheostomy tubes made of silicone (Si), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyurethane (PU) after 3 and 6 months of clinical use.

Voice Quality After Radiofrequency Volumetric Tissue Reduction of the Soft Palate in Habitual Snorers

Objective To evaluate whether radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction of the soft palate is causing voice changes as a result of velopharyngeal insufficiency in patients with heavy snoring.