Somnoplasty
A Treatment For
Snoring
During normal breathing, air passes through the throat on its
way to the
lungs. The air travels past the tongue, soft palate, uvula, and
tonsils.
The soft palate is the back of the roof of the mouth. The uvula
is the
prominent anatomic structure dangling downward visibly at the
back of the
mouth (pharynx). When a person is awake, the muscles in the
back of the
throat tighten to hold these structures in place preventing
them from
collapsing and/or vibrating in the airway. During sleep, the
uvula and
soft palate frequently vibrate causing the distinctive sounds
of snoring.
Somnoplasty is an unique surgical method for reducing habitual
snoring
by removing tissues of the uvula and soft palate. Unlike other
approaches
(such as the laser), somnoplasty uses very low levels of
radiofrequency
heat energy to create finely controlled localized burn-areas
beneath the
lining (mucosa) of the soft tissues of the throat. These burn-
areas are
eventually resorbed by the body, shrinking the tissue volume,
opening the
passageway for air, and thereby reducing symptoms of snoring.
Somnoplasty
is performed under local anesthesia in an outpatient setting
and takes
approximately 30 minutes.
The following complications have been reported in the medical
literature. This list is not meant to be inclusive of every
possible
complication. It is here for your information only, not to
frighten you,
but to make you aware and more knowledgeable concerning this
procedure.
Although many of these complications are rare, all have
occurred, at one
time or another, in the hands of experienced surgeons
practicing the
standards of community care. Anyone who is contemplating any
type of
surgery must weigh the potential risks and complications
against the
potential benefits of the surgery, or any alternative to
surgery.
- Failure to resolve or eliminate snoring. Most surgeons feel
that
about 80% of patients who undergo a somnoplasty will have a
significant
or complete resolution in their snoring; and an additional
percentage of
patients will notice reduced levels of snoring such that
their sleep
partners will report that it's level is no longer
offensive.
- Failure to cure sleep apnea or other pathological sleep
disorders.
Pathological sleep disorders, like sleep apnea, are medical
problems
which may have associated serious complications. At this
time, the
somnoplasty procedure has not been proven to cure these
disorders.
- Nasal regurgitation, a change in voice, or velopharyngeal
insufficiency whereby liquids may flow into the nasal cavity
during
swallowing (rare).
- Need for revision, or further and more aggressive
surgery.
- Prolonged pain, infection, bleeding, or impaired
healing.
- Thermal or electrical injury to the mucus membranes of the
soft
palate, uvula, or mouth. This may result in tissue loss by
burn.
What happens before the procedure?
You should not take aspirin, or any product containing
aspirin, within
10 days of the date of your procedure. If there is any question
as to the
contents of a medication, please call your doctor or consult
your
pharmacist. Acetaminophen (TYLENOL and others) is an acceptable
pain
reliever. You should consult your doctor about whether or not
ibuprofen
(ADVIL, NUPRIN, and others) or other nonsteroid
antiinflammatory drugs are
permissible.
You may eat a light meal prior to your procedure. Smokers
should make
every effort to stop smoking, or at least reduce the number of
cigarettes.
This will help to reduce postoperative coughing and
bleeding.
What happens the day of the procedure?
It is important that you know precisely what time you are to
come to the
office, and that you allow sufficient preparation time. You
should wear
comfortable loose-fitting clothes which will allow for a
conductive pad to
be placed on the lower back area.
What takes places during the procedure?
Prior to the actual procedure, you will be given an oral spray
to start
anesthetizing the throat area. Once the throat is partially
anesthetized,
you will be given approximately three small injections in the
roof of the
mouth. Most patients find that the process of anesthetizing the
throat to
be of only minor discomfort.
During the operation, you will be asked to sit upright and
will be fully
awake throughout the entire procedure. Your surgeon will
explain the
process and demonstrate the equipment. The Somnus
"gun" device,
which is connected to a radiofrequency generator, is placed
into the
mouth. A small electrode located at the end of the device is
inserted into
the soft palate (back of the roof of the mouth). Radiofrequency
is applied
through the electrode. Sections of the electrode are insulated
to protect
the delicate surface of the tissue. Through controlled delivery
of
radiofrequency energy, the tissue is heated in a limited area
around the
electrode. Most patients find the procedure to be surprisingly
comfortable.
Next: What happens after the procedure? »
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