Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) complications and side effects: a systematic review

Figures & data

Table 1 Complete list of the studies identified as pertinent to this systematic review with associated publication year, population size, and any information about pain or narcotic use mentioned within the respective studies

Study primary author	Year	N	Mean follow-up (months)	Mean painduration (d)	Mean duration ofnarcotic use (d)
Abdullah^Citation8	2008	19	2	-	-
Astor^Citation9	1998	38	2	10.5	-
Belloso^Citation10	2006	18	12	-	-
Berger^Citation11	2001	14	10.1	9.7	-
Carenfelt^Citation12	1991	146	-	-	-
Cheng^Citation13	1998	192	6	10	-
Chisholm^Citation14	2007	20	13.9	-	-
Cincik^Citation15	2006	18	1	-	-
Coleman^Citation16	1998	20	1	-	-
Ferguson^Citation7	2003	21	8	-	-
Finkelstein^Citation17	2002	26	12.3	-	-
Godoy^Citation18	2009	178	-	-	-
Goktas^Citation19	2014	25	134	-	-
Hanada^Citation20	1996	106	-	-	-
Haraldsson^Citation21	1990	105	3	-	-
Iyngkaran^Citation22	2006	168	59	-	-
Klozar^Citation23	2004	49	12	10	-
Klozar^Citation24	2007	73	12.2	7	-
Kotecha^Citation25	1998	95	9	-	-
Kyrmizakis^Citation26	2003	59	40	12.5	-
Larrosa^Citation27	2004	13	3	13	-
Lim^Citation28	2007	20	6	-	-
Lysdahl^Citation29	2002	8	96	-	-
Maheshwar^Citation30	2002	33	53	14	-
Mickelson^Citation31	2009	59	1.5	-	-
Negm^Citation32	2001	60	0.5	9	-
Neuruntarat^Citation33	2001	340	40.5	9.5	-
Osman^Citation34	2000	29	3.4	-	-
Papadakis^Citation35	1999	321	12	-	-
Pavelec^Citation36	2006	63	6	-	-
Pinczower^Citation37	1998	60	3	-	-
Pribitkin^Citation38	1998	48	3	-	-
Rombaux^Citation39	2003	15	1.5	15	7.2
Ryan^Citation40	2000	44	3	-	-
Scierski^Citation41	2003	68	-	-	-
Seemann^Citation42	2001	43	1	14	-
Sharp^Citation43	2001	29	75	-	-
Skatvedt^Citation44	1996	100	18	-	-
Terris^Citation45	2002	15	4	15.1	-
Troell^Citation46	2000	10	1	13.8	3.6
Walker^Citation47	1997	275	3	-	-
Wareing^Citation48	1996	50	6	-	-
Total		3093	16.1	11.65 (s =2.56)	5.56

Abbreviations: SEM, standard error of the mean; RR, relative risk; CI, confidence interval; SSI, surgical site infection; VP, velopharyngeal

Table 2 Compiled statistics of the specific complications of laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty that were reported by all 42 studies

Complication (% of patients with complication)	Mean (reported complications/ person/study)	SEM	Extrapolated complications per 1000 people with 95% CI	RR	RR (95% CI)
Bleeding (2.6%)	0.02657	0.00091	26.57±1.79	0.43	0.27-0.67
Candidiasis (0.3%)	0.00255	0.00028	2.55±0.54	2.36	0.25-22.37
Dryness (7.2%)	0.07188	0.00396	71.88±7.77	0.46	0.35-0.59
Dysgeusia (0.3%)	0.00310	0.00020	3.10±0.39	0.05	0.02-0.15
Dysosmia (0.2%)	0.00159	0.00018	1.59±0.36	0.02	0.00-0.10
Globus (8.2%)	0.08160	0.00242	81.60±4.75	1.48	1.07-2.06
SSI (1.3%)	0.01336	0.00066	13.36±1.29	0.94	0.45-1.98
VP insufficiency (3.9%)	0.03896	0.00168	38.96±3.3	2.25	1.29-3.94
VP stenosis (1.6%)	0.01609	0.00096	16.09±1.58	1.61	0.73-3.53
Total/Overall (25.6%)			255.71±23.33

Abbreviations: SEM, standard error of the mean; RR, relative risk; CI, confidence interval; SSI, surgical site infection; VP, velopharyngeal

Figure 1 (A) A pre-surgical laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty candidate. (B) Traditional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty which shows the large, continuous surgical site. (C) Modified uvulopalatopharyngoplasty which shows plication of the uvula upward to the soft palate and reduces the risk of velopharyngeal stenosis or insufficiency. (D) Tissue-sparing approach of palatopharyngoplasty with only a partial resection of the uvula, which likely results in even fewer complications. (This figure is an open source image made available in Wikimedia Commons, which allows anyone the right to use this image based on the Creative Commons ShareAlike 4.0 license).

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