Snoring Surgery

Snoring is indeed one of the rampant problems in any society right now. There are many natural remedies to snoring that you can try out. But for snoring of the more severe nature, you just might have to consider another option: surgery.

With snoring surgery, you actually have a lot of options. But, first and foremost, you should not choose which of these methods to employ on your own. You have to consult your physician for this as well. There are actually four types that you can consider here.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty or UPPP

This surgery involves removing the uvula, and there are even cases when the tonsils are removed as well. This is also the surgical procedure used when a portion of the soft palate has to be removed. UPPP is actually recommended when the obstruction concerns the sidewalls of the throat. A general anesthetic is administered to the patient for the surgery to take place. Just like any other surgery, there are risks for complications, especially of the post-operative kind. For starters, your palate may become dry, and you might experience voice changes. Your taste buds just might have partial loss in their abilities as well.

Laser-assisted Uvuloplatoplasty or LAUP

This surgery is one of the more preferred methods, even by doctors worldwide. What’s more, this method is less costly as well. Laser is used in the vaporization of the excess edges that can be found on the uvula and the soft palate. Depending on the nature of the condition, either general or local anesthetic can be used here. This process can actually be done over and over again, to achieve that desired outcome. This is precisely why patients can suffer postoperative pains over and over again as well. But what’s nice about this process is that it has fewer risks and complications, when compared to UPPP.

Palatal Stiffening Operations or CAPSO

The soft palate is actually burned here, with the effect of the palate stiffening. A local anesthetic is used for this surgery, and it does not even require the patient to be admitted into the hospital. This is just an outpatient service offered by hospitals. Of course, there is always the risk of pain, although there are lesser complications entailed in this surgery.

Radio-frequency Ablation or Somnoplasty

Heat is still involved here, with the soft palate tissue shrinking from the heat introduced. This is still an outpatient snoring surgery, and would require a number of sessions as well. What makes this surgery popular is the fact that it is less painful as compared to the other surgical methods for snoring.