When Should You Consider Surgery to Stop Snoring?

Snoring is a nuisance to your partner, but did you know that it can also be the result of many serious health problems? It is not uncommon to snore; however an estimated 59 per cent of adults snore three or more times per week!

Snoring can be treated in several ways, but some are more effective than others. Many times, a simple lifestyle change can help to reduce the severity and frequency of snoring. Other times, stop-snoring products can be used to accomplish this. However, if you have tried all of these methods with little or no success, then perhaps it is time to consider another alternative. [an error occurred while processing this directive] 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.

Sweet Success: Palatal Stiffening

Palatal stiffening is the final type of surgery to stop snoring, and it can be accomplished in a minor outpatient procedure where the throat tissue is burned in order to stiffen it. This procedure has very similar results to Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), but it has far fewer complications. It is, however, still characterized by post-surgical pain. This surgery can be repeated more than once until the desire effect is obtained; thus, if you are unsatisfied with your original results, then you can have the surgery performed multiple more times.