We report the results of one-stage multilevel upper airway surgery for patients who could not tolerate continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Patients treated with multilevel surgery at a University Hospital in 2015–2019 were identified from a prospectively maintained database. The inclusion criteria were aged 18–70 years, body mass index (BMI) < 35 kg/m², apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) > 20, and lingual tonsil hypertrophy grade 3 or 4. Drug-induced sleep endoscopy was performed before surgery in all patients. Multilevel surgery was performed in one stage and included expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty (ESP), coblation tongue base reduction (CTBR), and partial epiglottectomy (PE) as required. The outcome measures were postoperative AHI, time percentage oxygen saturation < 90%, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score. A total of 24 patients were included: median age 49.1 years, average BMI 27.26 kg/m², and 90% men. Ten patients received ESP plus CTBR plus PE, eight received ESP plus CTBR, and six received ESP plus PE. The mean preoperative AHI was 33.01 at baseline and improved to 17.7 ± 13 after surgery (p < 0.05). The ESS score decreased from 11 ± 5.11 to 7.9 ± 4.94 (p < 0.05). The surgical success rate according to Sher’s criteria was 82.3%. The median follow-up was 23.3 months (range 12–36). These findings suggest that multilevel surgery is a safe and successful treatment of OSAHS.

Background. COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic, with many patients requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation. Tracheostomy can shorten ICU length of stay and help weaning. Aims/Objectives. To describe the long-term evolution of the critically patient with COVID-19 and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation and orotracheal intubation (OTI), with or without tracheostomy. Material and Methods. A prospective study was performed including all patients admitted to the ICU due to COVID-19 from 10^th March to 30^th April 2020. Epidemiological data, performing a tracheostomy or not, mean time of invasive mechanical ventilation until tracheotomy, mean time from tracheotomy to weaning, and final outcome after one month of minimum follow-up were recorded. The Otolaryngology team was tested for COVID-19 before and after the procedures. Results. Out of a total of 1612 hospital admissions for COVID-19, only 5.8 (93 patients) required ICU admission and IOT. Twenty-seven patients (29) underwent a tracheostomy. After three months, within the group of tracheotomized patients, 29.6 died and 48.15 were extubated in a mean time of 28.53 days. In the nontracheostomized patients, the mortality was 42.4. Conclusions. Tracheostomy is a safe procedure for COVID-19 and helps weaning of prolonged OTI. Mortality after tracheostomy was less common than in nontracheostomized patients.

Background: Myofunctional therapy has emerged as a treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) enables objective measurement of lingual and orofacial muscle strength, although it was originally designed for evaluating dysphagia. OSA is frequently associated with a hypotonic phenotype characterized by reduced strength in upper airway muscles, but its identification remains unclear. Objective: We evaluated the usefulness of IOPI measurements in identifying hypotonic phenotypes among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study analyzing the relationship between IOPI scores, sleep polygraphy metrics—such as the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI)—and findings from physical examination. In addition to the standard IOPI protocol, we introduced novel maneuvers aimed at providing a more comprehensive assessment of oropharyngeal muscle function. Results: Although IOPI conventional maneuvers showed no clear association with AHI or ODI, the inferior tongue maneuver showed higher awake tongue strength, with a statistically significant correlation to both AHI (r = 0.2873; p = 0.008) and ODI (r = 0.2495; p = 0.032). Performing each exercise three times yielded highly consistent results across trials (r > 0.94), but did not significantly alter the overall outcome. Interestingly, lower tongue strength values were observed in patients with a high-arched palate (p < 0.05), whereas no relevant associations were found with the presence of a restricted lingual frenulum or CPAP use. Conclusions: Incorporating specific IOPI maneuvers, especially the inferior tongue exercise, may provide additional insight into muscle function in OSA. Selective repetition is advisable for borderline values.

Tonsillectomy is considered the standard of care in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and large tonsils; however, there are selected cases where this procedure should not be considered. We present two patients with tonsil grade 4 and severe OSA where tonsillectomy was not the solution for their problem and could be a superfluous procedure. In our experience, a preoperatory drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) and proper patient phenotyping will prevent this type of surgical failure.

Introduction and objective: Nasosinusal inverted papilloma is a benign epithelial tumor that has a locally aggressive behavior which requires surgical treatment by functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) and long-term follow-up due to the risk of recurrence-persistence. Our objective is to evaluate the efficacy of surgical treatment of inverted papilloma, as well as the incidence of recurrence of the disease after surgery. Method: A retrospective study of 39 patients treated for inverted papilloma between 2006 and 2020 was carried out, recording demographic data tumor characteristics, as well as analyzing the incidence of persistence (before 6 months) or recurrence (after 6 months) after surgical treatment. Results: 82% of the cases were men with a mean age of 54 years. The most frequent location was the lateral nasal wall, 38,5%. 89,7% (35/39) of the cases diagnosed with inverted papilloma were treated surgically using FESS, obtaining a percentage of persistence and recurrence of 2,6%. 7,7% (3/39), being lesions of the nasal vestibule, were simply resected. In one specific case (2,6%), it was necessary to perform frontal osteoplasty due to extension of the papilloma. No atypia nor malignancy were found in any of the cases. Discussion and conclusions: The gold standard in the surgical treatment of inverted papilloma is FESS, considering medial maxillectomy in most cases. Surgical treatment of IP using this technique has a low rate of persistence and recurrence. KEYWORDS: Inverted Papilloma, sinus, surgery, recurrence, persistence, malignancy, medial maxillectomy. Introducción y objetivo: El papiloma invertido nasosinusal tiene un comportamiento localmente agresivo con riesgo de recidiva, por lo que requiere un tratamiento quirúrgico adecuado y un seguimiento prolongado en consulta. Nuestro objetivo es determinar la eficacia del tratamiento quirúrgico de los papilomas invertidos mediante cirugía endoscópica nasosinusal (CENS), evaluando la incidencia de recurrencia y la persistencia de enfermedad tras la cirugía. Método: Se realiza un estudio retrospectivo de 39 pacientes tratados de papiloma invertido entre 2006 y 2020 en un hospital universitario, registrando datos demográficos y características tumorales. Se analiza la persistencia (antes de 6 meses) o recidiva (después de 6 meses) tras tratamiento quirúrgico. Resultados: El 82% (32/39) de los casos fueron varones y la edad media fue de 54 años. La localización más frecuente fue la pared lateral nasal (38,5%). El 89,7% (35/39) de los casos fue tratado quirúrgicamente mediante CENS, obteniendo un porcentaje de persistencia y recidiva del 2,6%. Un 7,7% (3/39), al ser lesiones del vestíbulo nasal, se resecaron de forma simple. En un caso concreto (2,6%), se necesitó realizar osteoplastia frontal por extensión del papiloma. No se encontró atipia ni malignización en ninguno de los casos. Discusión y conclusiones: El tratamiento quirúrgico de elección del papiloma invertido es la CENS, considerando realizar maxilectomía medial en todos los casos. El tratamiento quirúrgico del PI mediante esta técnica presenta una baja tasa de persistencia y de recurrencia. PALABRAS CLAVE: Papiloma invertido, senos paranasales, cirugía, recidiva, persistencia, malignización, maxilectomía medial.