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.

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.

Keep your weight under control. Did you know that a huge percentage of snoring cases appear because of excess weight? Well, now you know! So if you are planning to eat everything in your site consider that among the vast array of negative effects of obesity, one of them is snoring. Fat storage takes places in different parts of the body and one of them is the tissues around the throat. The fatter they are, the more difficult it would be for air to pass through the airways without causing vibrations. If you are overweight and with snoring problems, try dropping a few pounds and check if this has had a good effect on your problem. Most people learn how to avoid snoring this way.

Avoid alcohol and certain medications before sleep-time. During sleep our muscles and tissues in the throat area naturally relax, but if we take alcohol and certain medications we can cause an over-relaxation of such tissues, blocking the airways and producing the infamous snoring vibrations. Avoiding altogether alcohol is of course the best option if you want to know how to avoid snoring but in any case; try to limit your consumption.

Avoid sleeping on your back. Specialists have studied different sleeping position and determined that the one that contributes the most for snoring is sleeping on your back. Now, I know people don’t consciously choose how they sleep, and many people despite efforts tend to shift back to their common sleeping positions during the night. If you want to know how to avoid snoring you can use a couple of tricks. One of them is using a tennis ball and putting it in the back pocket of your pajamas. This nice anti-snoring trick will be helpful if you want to shift to a “sleeping-on-your-back” position during the night; you will the discomfort and unconsciously choose one more comfortable. Another trick is to use an anti snoring pillow, many of them are designed so you’ll find the most comfort sleeping on your sides and some of them, when you are on your back modify the neck in such a way that the airways remain fully open.

It is very important to address the problem of snoring not only because it can have a toll on your relationships, but also because it can also be a sign of an underlying condition such as obstructive sleep apnea, nasal obstruction and even obesity. There are different approaches to reduce the snorring problems including lifestyle changes and the use of surgery in some specific cases.

Snorring can be produced by different factor such as the anatomy of your mouth, nasal problems, obstructive sleep apnea and even alcohol consumption. When dealing with this problem it is very important to go to the doctor and discard serious underlying conditions; you may need to go to an otolaryngologist or sleep specialist to undergo proper testing and evaluation.

How to stop Snorring With Lifestyle Changes

Lifestyle changes involve mostly losing weight, changing your sleeping position and adjusting the placement of your jaw when sleeping.

Excess weight is a major cause of snoring in people around the World; higher fat storage will enlarge the tissues in the throat, allowing the appearance of the vibrations. Many people are able to reduce problems simply by losing a few pounds until the airways can get a better flow of air. You don’t have to be 100% fit to find relief for snoring.

To change your sleep position you can use either a tennis ball or a special anti snorring pillow; the goal is the same: prevent you from sleeping in your back, which is a position that facilitates the obstruction of the airways. If you are wondering how to use a tennis ball, know that it is meant to put it in your back pocket while you sleep, so whenever you try to sleep on your back unconsciously, the discomfort will help you shift back to your original position.

Adjusting the placement of your jaw can be done through snorring devices or oral appliances. These are offered by dentists and can be external or internal; there are also chin straps which have the same purpose. These snorring solutions can be pretty uncomfortable at first and not at all aesthetical, however over time you get accustomed to their use.

Snorring Surgery

Surgery might be the last resort for many people who have fought long years against snoring, however, it Is not a 100% effective solution. It can reduce greatly snorring in the short term, but current surgical procedures tend to decrease in effectiveness over the years. –Nowadays you can opt for laser-assisted surgery for a better recovery time and reduce complications that may arise from the treatment. To learn more about surgeries, please refer to our Snoring surgery information category.

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.

The goal of this surgery is to remove excess tissue located in the soft palate and at the same time tighten-up the resting tissue in the mouth. Although this is done now with assistance of laser, it can be done also with electrocautery and cold knife techniques. The soft palate is in a way sculpted by creating forms that resemble “trenches” around the uvula and reshaping the uvula itself.

This surgery is performed with anesthesia; however the person remains awake all the time. After it is completed, the doctor will have widened the size of the patient’s airway to increase the airflow and reduce any vibrations in the area that are producing the snoring sound. All the surgical procedure will take about 30 minutes and usually the patient can go home immediately unless the doctor requires the contrary.

Although many people think LAUP is the definitive answer to their problems, the truth is that sometimes a single procedure won’t give the expected results, and subsequent treatments will be needed (with a 4-8 weeks separation). There have been cases where patients have needed up to six surgeries for the treatment to be considered a success. OF course this also adds up in terms of costs.

LAUP is a type of surgery that do not have side effects of a serious nature, but like all surgeries it can have complications, the most common one being excessive bleeding. You need to talk all about this and how you can avoid complications in a private consultation with your surgeon.

LAUP will also require post-surgery care in order to help you recover perfectly from the surgery; the doctor will give you antibiotics and painkillers to speed up the recovery process and you will have to follow a liquid diet for the first days after LAUP. You will also need to take care of your swollen throat by doing things like sleeping at a 45 degree angle to reduce blood flow on the area. If you do physical activities, know that they will be limited for approximately a month.

Uvulopalatoplasty surgery is not a solution aimed to work for everyone; in order to see if it will be helpful in your particular case, you will need consultations with specialized doctors.

There are different types of snoring surgeries, and the one for your case will depend greatly on where you have an excess of tissue that is causing the sound. This way you have nasal surgery and palatal surgery, each one with a different range of prices.

Nasal surgery is performed to allow a better pass of air through the nose; this is achieved by correcting the nasal septum, taking out nasal polyps and repairing the nasal tissue linings. The average cost of this surgery is $2,000 a figure that also includes the extra charges for service, anesthesia, etc.

On the other hand, Palatoplasty is needed to correct problems in the soft palate and the back of the tongue. The ways your surgeon can perform this surgery are varied and the one for your case will be reflected on the cost of the snoring surgery. The costs usually will rang between $2,000 and $3,000 including again al the surcharges.

Another surgery used for snoring is Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). In this procedure, a surgeon will take out certain parts of the uvula and soft palate, along with tonsils to open up your airways. The average cost of this treatment in USA is $5,500.

Uvuloplasty (UPP) is a type of surgery where most of the uvula is remove through electrocautery, then the plate is burned across, making the scar tissue tighten up the palate. The cost for this procedure is in average $500. There is also a similar alternative using laser, called Laser-Assisted Uvuloplasty, with a higher cost of $1,500 in average.

Finally, you have somnoplasty, a snoring surgery option in which electrocautery is delivered through a needle to then be inserted in the soft palate. The scar resulting from this procedure will stiffen the area and prevent snoring. Like many other surgeries the effects can decline over the years, and it has an average cost of $1500.

In some cases, the snoring surgery cost can be really reduced, especially if we take into account that a significant amount can be reduced through a combination of Government Insurance and private insurance. However, you should read well what is covered and what is not covered in your private insurance company. Some companies will consider snoring surgery as a type o aesthetical surgery, therefore, avoiding its coverage.

We have to take into consideration a few things, and one of them is to know if this snoring problem is not caused by an underlying condition like sleep apnea. Because in the end, you should know that even if you have success with surgery it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have eliminated sleep apnea, and this condition can be very harmful for your health.

To determine if you have apneas during your sleep you must undergo a sleep study. Sometimes, snoring can appear occasionally like when you have nasal congestion, or when you had alcohol prior to going to sleep, but they also can bring induce apneas. Through a sleep study it will also be evaluated the severity of the apnea.

This problem must not be overlooked, and is something you need to keep in mind when deciding to have a snoring surgery. It has been estimated that almost 10 millions of people in America suffer from undiagnosed sleep apnea and you can be one of them.

A sleep apnea problem can be treated without the use of surgery or with surgery, and this needs to be determined by your doctor who will take a look at the severity of the apnea and the available snoring surgeries. To find a doctor that specializes in this area, you should look for otolaryngologists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons. I always advise people to try and seek doctors through referrals. In this case, you can even ask your trusted physician.

You can suspect your snoring is related to sleep apnea you have to check if your snoring problem does not respond to simple treatments.

Snoring surgery however is the last option to treat the extreme snoring problem in an individual. Surgeries such as Thermal Ablation Palatoplasty (TAP), adenoidectomy, Pillar procedure, or palatal implantation, Repose and Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty are performed by surgeon to prevent snoring. These surgeries totally depend on the conditions and diagnosis made by the doctor. In fact, every surgery to prevent snoring has individual rate of effectiveness along with advantages as well as disadvantages.

Some Preferred Snoring Surgeries:

The TAP surgery involves removal of tonsils and fatty tissues around the neck. Sometimes, it also involves restructuring the jaw to correct any abnormalities. At present, even laser technology is used to remove these tissues. The palatal implantation includes insertion of plastic implants through syringe, which helps in hardening of soft plate tissues, which are responsible for snoring.

Repose is another most preferred type of surgery, which prevents the tongue from falling back and blocks the air passage that results in snoring. The tongue is attached to lower jawbone with a tiny screw. This is normally executed by other procedures.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty is a procedure, wherein all the parts of the uvula are burnt through electrodes thus reducing the soft tissues, which are responsible for snoring. Such laser-assisted treatments of uvula are performed by surgeons worldwide to cure snoring.

If the cause of snoring is blockade in the nasal passage, then nasal surgery is performed to eliminate the obstruction in the passage and correct the deviated septum. On the other hand, Pillar procedure surgery involves implanting three woven implants each of 18mm size in soft palate.

Thus, these are some of the most preferred surgeries to prevent snoring.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty:

It is not only the oldest, but also the most invasive surgical procedures to cure snoring problems. This surgery involves the removal of uvula, tonsils and some parts of the soft palate, and enlargement of the nasal airway. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP removes the soft tissue that often vibrates when the person snores. This helps to clear any kind of nasal blockage. This surgery is not effective, when it comes to treating snoring caused due to improper functions of tongue.

Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty

This is the most common surgery for treating snoring. In this procedure, a carbon dioxide laser is used to vaporize some parts of the uvula. The patient may be administered with a local anaesthetic before starting the surgery. The procedure can be completed in just about half an hour. However, a patient may be required to undergo 3-5 sessions of the same. Also, Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty has a good success rate.

Somnoplasty:

Somnoplasty is also referred to as radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction (RFVTR). It is a recently developed surgical procedure and involves shrinking of the tissues in the soft palate, tongue or throat. It takes around 30 minutes to execute this surgery. This is perhaps the most effective surgical procedure in treating snoring. It is relatively much painless and has a better success rate than Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty.

Tonsilectomy:

Tonsilectomy is a less invasive surgical procedure and hence, is less painful. It involves stabilization of tongue’s base, thereby preventing it from falling backward while sleeping. In this procedure, a titanium screw is tucked into the lower jaw and a suture is made to pass through the base of the tongue and is then fixed with the screw. The major drawback of this procedure is that it takes much time to heal.

Finally, consult your physician before undergoing any such snoring surgery procedures.