Meta-analysis of the association between obstructive sleep apnea and postoperative complications

To clarify the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and postoperative outcomes, investigate whether preoperative diagnosis and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy reduce the risks and examine the impact of OSA severity on postoperative outcomes.The PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase databases were searched from inception until April 2021 for studies evaluating the association between OSA and postoperative adverse events. A random effects model was used to calculate the pooled outcome. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias were conducted to verify the robustness and reliability of the results.In total, 46 studies were eligible for further analysis. OSA was significantly associated with higher risks of postoperative respiratory complications (OR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.54 to 2.36) and cardiac complications (OR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.25 to 2.42), and the risks increased with OSA severity. OSA also increased the risk of intensive care unit (ICU) transfer (OR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.32 to 2.80), increased the risk of postoperative delirium (OR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.26 to 2.66) and prolonged the length of hospital stay (WMD = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.15 to 0.82). Subgroup analysis indicated that preoperative diagnosis and use of CPAP decrease the risk of postoperative respiratory complications (OR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.43 to 2.43) and cardiac complications (OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 0.91 to 1.51).Patients with OSA have a higher risk of postoperative cardiopulmonary complications, ICU transfer, delirium, pneumonia, bleeding and prolonged length of hospital stay. OSA severity is an important risk modifier for postoperative complications, preoperative diagnosis and CPAP therapy may attenuate the occurrence of postoperative complications. The conclusions need to be interpreted with caution due to the limitations in the data, despite this, the results indicate and inform the need for further and larger trials.CRD42021254374.