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Surgery to Stop Snoring

June 11th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Did you know that snoring, aside from being a nuisance to your bed partner, can also be the result of many serious health conditions? Of course snoring is not an uncommon condition, it is estimated that 59% of adults snore more than 3 times a week!

There many ways to get rid of your snoring problem now days. Some are effective some aren’t. For many people a simple life change can help reduce the severity of their problem, for other stop-snoring products is the way to go. But if you are amongst the people that have tried these methods with little or no success then perhaps you need Surgery to stop snoring.

You might benefit from surgery to stop snoring.  There are three main types of surgery to stop snoring: Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), Radio-Frequency Ablation (Somnoplasty) and Palatal Stiffening (CAPSO).

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)

The first type of surgery to stop snoring is Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP).  The goal of this surgical procedure is to increase the width of the oropharynx.  When UPPP is performed, the uvula and pharyngeal arches are removed, as are part of the soft palette and, on occasion, the tonsils.   It is performed under a general anesthetic and is known for the potential to cause long-term complications, such as severe pain after operation, nasopharyngeal regurgitation, a partial loss of taste, permanent voice changes, and palatal dryness. 

Short and Sweet: Somnoplasty or Radio-Frequency Ablation

Somnoplasty is another type of surgery to stop snoring, and it aims to shrink the redundant tissue of the soft palette and can be performed in a mere 20 minutes.  During the procedure, the inner tissue is heated to 85 degrees Celsius, which could cause the tissue to scar.  However, these scars have little or no effect on the surrounding tissues.  Somnoplasty is performed under a general anesthesia, and it does not have as many complications as other procedures.  However, it is still a relatively new procedure and many people have found its success rate to be lower than that of other procedures, especially in obese people.

Palatal Stiffening

Palatal Stiffening is another type or surgery to stop snoring. This procedure is not very complicated and can be performed in a minor outpatient procedure. The procedure is simple and is accomplished by burning the throat tissue in order to stiffen it. The results are similar than the ones obtained with Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), the only difference is the post-surgical pain. Another factor about this surgery to stop snoring is that it can be repeated until the desired effect is obtained.

Looking for the Newest Surgery for Snoring

June 8th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Somnoplasty may be the answer for you.

Are those symptoms familiar to you?

- Do you have trouble breathing through your nose?
- Do you snore loudly at night?
- Do you have a hard time staying awake during the day?
- Have you been diagnosed with obstructive Sleep Apnea?

If your answer to all or most of theses questions is yes then you should continue reading. There is a brand new surgery technique to get rid of your snoring problem. Somnoplasty is the latest thing and could easily provide you with the relief you have been looking for.

Somnoplasty is the newest surgery for snoring and it appeared in 1997. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat upper airway disorders. In short Somnoplasty is for people suffering from sleep apnea and is an out patient procedure.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

An ear, nose, and throat doctor can perform the newest surgery for snoring in their office using low-powered radiofrequency energy on the base of the tongue. The lesions created by this process are absorbed by the tissue and the remaining tissue is stiffer. This is preformed using local anesthesia and pain medication is only required for two to three days after the surgery.  In the past the same types of surgeries would require weeks of narcotics to cope with the after surgery pain.

Somnoplasty has very few side effects and there have been no reports of bleeding, infection or airway compromises.  There have been a few complaints of soreness immediately following the surgery. All patients that have undergone this newest surgery for snoring have reported absolute improvement in breathing.  Also over 75 per cent of patients reported a decrease in the severity and frequency of breathing problems. Most of the patients recorded decreased daytime sleepiness and a huge 77 per cent decrease in snoring.
 
Also works for Chronic Snoring

This newest surgery for snoring has been proven effective for chronic snoring. This out patient procedure can be performed right in your doctor’s office. This procedure is known to reduce significantly the snoring with radiofrequency waves that are used to reduce your soft-palate tissue volume.

Patients average a 69 per cent reduction in snoring and nearly 40 per cent reduction of waking tired after sleeping.  Also this surgery is safe enough to be used for the same problem twice if necessary to produce sufficiently taut skin and eliminate or decrease the incidence of snoring. Ask your doctor if you can enjoy a better quality of life by opting for this surgical procedure.

The only problem with this newest surgery for snoring is that there are only 300 doctors in the United States qualified enough to perform this surgery. If you are looking for such a specialist, your doctor should be able to refer you to a qualified surgeon if he is not one of them.

Ever Heard of Laser Surgery For Snoring

May 12th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Did you know that amongst all the methods and cures to help you stop snoring or treat your sleep apnea, laser surgery for snoring is probably one the most effective method available today? Here is a small resume of the method: The procedure is called uvulopalatoplasty also named LAUP, this procedure is simple but probably not for everyone. The surgeon uses a laser to cut your uvula (The uvula is the tissue that dangles in the back of your mouth). Doing this will remove the obstruction in your airway. The success rate of this operation to help patients stop snoring is quite high.

How Does Laser Surgery for Snoring Work?

Laser surgery for snoring is an outpatient procedure, meaning that you do not have to stay in the hospital after the surgery is performed.  It is completed under a local anesthesia, which is sprayed on the back oral cavity, tonsils, uvula, and soft palate.  Then, additional local anesthesia is injected into the muscle of the uvula.  After several minutes have passed, the surgeon will use a laser to make two vertical cuts in the palate on either side of the uvula.  This shortens the uvula and gets rid of what was once the obstruction that caused your snoring.

The entire operation is performed while you are sitting straight up in a chair.  Oftentimes, it takes more than one procedure to complete the surgery; in fact, it can take as many as five laser surgery for snoring to complete the operation.  When multiple surgeries are required, they are spaced anywhere from four to eight weeks from one another. 

After you have laser surgery for snoring performed, you will most likely see a quick recovery.  Right after the procedure, most people experience a pain, similar to that of a sore throat, which occurs when they swallow.  This may last for up to ten days, and it can be relieved by over-the-counter medications.  Although patients themselves are unable to witness the results of their laser surgery for snoring, their sleeping partners will definitely notice a difference!

Having a hard time making a Decision?

If you are wondering whether you should have laser surgery for snoring or not I totally understand you. After all having a part of our body removed is never s small decision even if it’s a small tissue in the back of our mouth. The best thing to do would be to consult your doctor. After some small tests and questions your doctor should be able to tell you if you are suffering from a severe snoring problem. You can talk to him about LAUP and if he thinks you are a good candidate you will probably have to participate in a sleep study. This will make sure you are indeed suffering from a severe snoring problem or sleep apnea.

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