Effect of pharyngeal musculature and genioglossus exercising on obstructive sleep apnea following uvulopalatopharyngoplasty

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of pharyngeal musculature and genioglossus exercising as a postoperative rehabilitation intervention for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) following uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)—a setting with limited prior evidence. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study conducted in the first people's Hospital of Linping District, Hangzhou. They included 120 patients of OSAHS who received UPPP between October 2022 and October 2024. Sixty patients who received pharyngeal and genioglossal muscle exercises were matched with the cohort who did not receive any exercise in a 1:1 ratio. The main outcome was the clinical efficacy 6 months after operation. The secondary outcomes were the changes of apnea hypopnea index (AHI), lowest oxygen saturation during sleep (LSaO2), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life tool (WHOQOL-BREF) score. Results Six months after operation, the clinical effective rate of the exercise group was significantly higher than that of the non-exercise group ( p  < 0.05). Before operation, there was no significant difference in AHI, LSaO2, PSQI and WHOQOL-BREF scores between the two groups (all p  > 0.05). Six months after operation, the AHI,LSaO2, PSQI and WHOQOL-BREF scores of the two groups were significantly improved, and the AHI, LSaO2, PSQI, physical and psychological scores of the exercise group were better than those of the non-exercise group (all p  < 0.05); However, there was no significant difference in the scores of environment and social domains between the two groups (all p  > 0.05). Conclusions Pharyngeal musculature and genioglossus exercising may improve postoperative outcomes and quality of life in patients undergoing UPPP, and could be considered a promising rehabilitation strategy in clinical practice.