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.