Snoring Surgery Info

Snoring is certainly a tough condition to have because not only it affects your sleep, but if you have a partner or spouse, they may be suffering too from the loud noise during the night. One option to get rid of this is through snoring surgery. The most common type of procedure used is LAUP, however there is a method known as Somnoplasty that has helped many people reduce their snoring levels. Read on to learn more about it.

Somnoplasty was developed as an alternative to snoring surgery without the pain and discomfort that traditional surgical methods brought; the goal of the procedure id to remove tissues of the uvula and the soft palate so there is a better flow of air during the night, eliminating the vibrations that cause the distinctive sound of snoring. This procedure is done under complete control monitoring every important aspect in detail; the low levels of radiofrequency heat energy also give the doctor the complete control needed for this operation.

Somnoplasty is performed in an outpatient setting using local anesthesia: before commencing the procedure, the doctor will use orals pray in the mouth to numb the area and then apply three small injections in the roof of the mouth; thanks to the oral spray you’ll only feel a minor discomfort when the injections are applied. The whole procedure takes usually less than 15 minutes and is done with the help of the Somnus gun device which delivers controlled thermal energy to the uvula and soft palate.

Once Somnoplasty is finished, you’ll need to take proper care of the area using directed over-the-counter analgesics. Know that immediately after surgery, snoring may get worse as the tissues are swollen and enlarged; improvement will become noticeable after a couple of weeks and with months the results will keep improving. It is also recommended you sleep with your head elevated for several nights after the treatment.

Somnoplasty Complications

As with any type of surgery, you run the risk of encountering complications. Although the great majority of cases are considered a success, you should weigh the risks by responsibly learning about these potential complications:

Failure to eliminate snoring problems. In these cases another more aggressive surgery may be needed.
Inability to cure sleep apnea and related problems.
Change in pitch of the voice, velopharyngeal insufficiency and nasal regurgitation. These are rare complications but are still a possibility.
Prolonged infection, pain and even bleeding.
Somnoplasty can also result in tissue loss by burn.

When we talk about snoring surgery, we are not talking about a single procedure that cures completely your snoring problems. Instead we are talking about different options that will treat different causes of the problem; that is why it is of extreme importance to determine the cause of your snoring and check if it is related to sleep apnea. This is done through a complete evaluation and in some cases a sleep study which can also determine the severity of sleep apnea.

There are different situations that can trigger snoring during the night, including nasal congestion, deviated nasal septum, your sleeping position (flat on your back), blocked nasal passages, excess weight and drinking alcoholic beverages before going to sleep. Knowing the cause will help you a lot in finding a solution and you can avoid surgery altogether. In some cases, though, a snoring surgery may be the only option left to minimize problems. Most current procedures can be done at the doctor’s office using local anesthesia.

A snoring surgery is not a 100% effective solution, according to some specialized publications, after performing the surgery patients experience good short-term results that do not completely erase the problem but minimize it in a great percentage; however as time passes the long-term results start to decrease as the body becomes accustomed to the changes. Let’s take a look at some of the procedures that are currently used as a snoring surgery.

Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP). This is the most commonly-used snoring surgery. In this procedure, the doctor will use Co2 laser to cut away the uvula. The vast majority of patients will require more than one surgery of this type for it to be considered a success. Usually you will need around 1 – 5 treatments and each one of them has its own cost. This happens with many of the alternatives for snoring surgery, and of course each session has its own expenses. LAUP is a variation of UPPP a similar procedure which is considered to be painful.

Coblation-Channeling. This is the newest snoring surgery and it was approved by the FDA in 2000. It can be used for snoring using radio frequency energy to shrink tissue located in the airway, it can also completely remove it.

Radio Frequency Tissue Ablation (RFTA). This treatment was approved in the year 1997 and it is also aimed at shrinking the uvula. You will find this procedure more commonly under its trade name: Somnoplasty. More than one treatment may be needed.

Tongue Suspension Procedure. Also known as Repose, its goal is to keep the tongue from falling back on the airway while you sleep, using a small screw on the lower jaw bone. This is a bit more invasive snoring surgery that might be needed in just some cases.

In addition to these treatments, you might also benefit for nasal surgery aimed at removing obstructions causing the snoring sound. It is very important to undergo proper consultation with your doctor; doctors who deal with these kinds of problems and know all about snoring surgery are otolaryngologists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons.

As you may know, snoring can be a very difficult problem to deal with, and many people perhaps like yourself can’t find a working solution for the problem – even after trying natural methods such as losing weight, changing sleeping postures, etc. Sometimes snoring surgery seems the best, and now you can find procedures done with laser.

Laser snoring surgery has advantages over traditional surgery methods: the procedure lasts much shorter, you will have less chances of complications from excessive bleeding and risk of infection, and the recovery time will be greatly reduced – with many patients returning to work the day after the procedure. But on the other side, you should also know that surgery is not the “ultimate” solution for this problem, it can reduce snoring greatly in a short term, but testimonials point out that in the long term, the effectiveness will reduce. The cost can be also a factor that can play against your decision to undergo surgery, especially when you take into account that most patients will need more than one treatment for it to be considered a success.

There are two options for laser snoring surgery: Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) and Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP).

LAUP is a procedure that involves a partial resection of the uvula and the soft palate. Using a CO2 laser, the palate is gently and slowly scarred and tightened so in the end you will have a much better flow of air. This is the most affordable laser snoring surgery option and the one that causes less discomfort. This perhaps has lead to a generalized use of LAUP for treating snoring and sleep apnea problems. The whole surgery can be performed in as little as 10 minutes in the doctor’s office, with the patient fully conscious thanks to the use of anesthesia. Usually a patient will need 1 – 5 LAUP treatments.

UPPP is a laser snoring surgery that will enlarge the throat and allow a better flow of air. This method is more “aggressive”, involving the removal of tonsils as well as parts of the uvula and the soft palate. This method is considered painful and thus requires the application of generalized anesthesia. Despite being more expensive and painful, it also fails in providing a 100% solution for snoring, however in some cases this can be the only option left.

These are your two options for laser snoring surgery, choosing one will depend on your specific case and your previous success/failure with natural options. In order to have one of these you will need to have a series of consultations with the doctor to assess if you are apt for the treatments.