Snoring can come from the tongue falling to the back of the mouth or from too large a uvula and a floppy palate or too much flesh in the area, which blocks the airflow. A mouth guard can help if the tongue is the problem that blocks the airflow but sometimes, the patient’s oral cavity simply has too much flesh or the tone of the structure has deteriorated to the point it blocks the passage when sleeping.
In this case, surgery is often recommended. The first surgery for this type of problem was uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. However, there were many different problems with this invasive procedure.
Laser surgery, often referred to as LAUP, laser assisted uvulopalatoplasty provided a much less invasive alternative to the original procedure, UPPP, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty. While the UPPP procedure was extremely painful and invasive and required general anesthetic, several days in the hospital and from one to two weeks of recuperation, the Laser Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty was a great improvement in many ways.
The laser treatment on the other hand could be completed in the LAUP center. It did not require a hospital stay and used only local anesthetic. However, the original laser treatment also had to be performed several times, three to five, to achieve the best results. Even though many doctors still use this procedure as a method of controlling snoring, a newer laser procedure works faster, often with only one treatment.
While the old laser treatment used a traditional hot laser to shrink the palate and uvula slowly by scarring the area and therefore tightening it, the newer treatment uses a CO2 laser for the remove tissue. Because they use a cold laser and inject cortisone with the anesthetic, they can remove much of the same tissue that the more invasive treatment UPPP removed in the hospital procedure but in a shorter less invasive procedure.
Those using the CO2 laser determine the amount of tissue to remove, the same way the doctors do when doing the UPPP surgical procedure. They judge it by the palatal dimple everyone has. The dimple indicates where the palatal muscle elevators are at the lowest. You need these muscles for closure when swallowing or to prevent backflow of liquid or nasally speech.
The cold laser allows the doctors to remove more tissue without increasing the pain and in 95 percent of cases, patients don’t need to have a second session.
The patient actually sits up and is awake during cold laser surgery. The doctors administer both a topical and a local anesthetic before he begins the procedure. He then begins to remove the uvula and trim the soft palate and it only takes between 20 or 30 minutes and the procedure is complete. While many of the patients have a sore throat when they eat, there is normally no problem when they speak.
The snoring is reduced or eliminated often after only one treatment. However, five percent of the patients may require a second treatment for maximum reduction of snoring. As the area heals, the patient notices even more improvement in their pattern of snoring until the area completely heals in three to four weeks.
Eighty-five percent of the patients that have had the cold laser treatment report between 75 and 100 percent of the problem with snoring eliminated. Most of them noted that the only noise they heard was best described as heavy breathing. Most patients miss no work, in fact, 90 percent of them immediately return to work after the surgery.
One of the problems or complaints of patients is that they initially have an increased feeling of phlegm in their throat, but most find it disappears after a few months. Some patients experience back flow of water into their nose if they bend to drink out of a fountain, but that is rare.
While the surgery works to help stop snoring, it also works for those with sleep apnea. Even though sleep apnea comes from both the tongue falling to the back of the throat and problems with the soft palate, there is still a significant improvement after the laser surgery.
When combined with a mouth brace for the tongue, the problem can often be eliminated. However, for these people, a sleep study is not only recommended but also mandatory for their recovery.
Even though the cold laser surgery is newer and more effective, it isn’t as expensive as other methods of removing the flesh or tightening the palate. Because it is only one session, it reduces the cost over traditional hospital surgery or hot laser treatment. The unfortunate part of the one-step cold laser surgery is that it is not available everywhere.
The good news is that the alternative, traditional laser assisted surgery is available in most places and is quite effective. Not every doctor can perform this type of surgery and it must be done at laser centers by qualified professionals. The effect is almost immediate and it does provide a long lasting solution.
Even though there are several sittings for the hot laser method, it’s still far cheaper than checking into a hospital and undergoing the traditional surgical method. The skilled team uses the laser to vaporize the soft pallet and shorten the uvula. If the patient hasn’t had his tonsils removed, that is necessary before the laser treatment. If the tonsils are already out, this type of treatment is a perfect solution.
Over half of the people who have had this type of laser surgery have reported that their snoring is cut by fifty percent. The doctors can perform the surgery under local anesthetic so it’s safe for most people. While the cost of the procedure is not minor, it’s far more affordable for most people than a lengthy hospital stay, particularly if insurance won’t pay for the procedure.
Either type of laser surgery is one solution that can help eliminate snoring. Both the hot and cold laser treatments are effective but the cold laser requires fewer treatments. However, before you rush to your local laser center, you’ll need a doctor’s evaluation of your problem.
If you have sleep apnea, in addition to snoring, finding the best method of controlling both the snoring and the apnea are of the utmost importance. While you might feel a sense of urgency for an immediate solution, a doctor trained in sleep problems can help you make the best decision.
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