Conclusion
The results of this study are in agreement with existing literature regarding DISE-directed surgery, and each individual study in this review carries the same theme of DISE-directed surgery being successful. We were able to suggest that DISE directed tongue surgery has a statistically significant improvement in PSG outcomes. While there is objective collective evidence that DISE-directed surgical decision making is effective, there is heterogeneity in reported outcomes and variety in patient demographics as well as confounding variables.
The existing literature demonstrates DISE-directed tongue surgery in children with persistent OSA can statistically improve AHI and LSAT levels. However, it does not necessarily cure OSA, as the average AHI level is 4.2 events/hr after DISE-directed surgical intervention. Overall, the existing pooled literature demonstrates DISE-directed tongue surgery can reduce AHI by approximately 50%, improve LSAT by nearly 3%, and have an overall positive response to surgery rate of 70%.