The following are procedures that can be done to alleviate excessive snoring that interrupts sleep patterns.
Palatal Stiffening Procedures (UP)
This surgery, for treatment for benign snoring, is commonly done as a laser-assisted procedure. It involves removing tissue of the soft palate and the uvula under local and topical anesthesia in an outpatient setting. The soft palate is "sculpted" by creating "trenches" around the uvula and reshaping the soft palate.
Nasal Surgery
Nasal surgery is done for nasal blockage. Although nasal obstruction and abnormal blockage of the nose is not the primary cause of sleep apnea and snoring, they are pivotal and very important contributors to these problems. The anatomy of the nose is complex. Some people misunderstand that for most patients with snoring and sleep apnea, the problems are not in the sinuses but in the nasal cavity itself. Problems may involve the septum, the nasal valve tissues, the turbinates, the nasopharynx (especially in children), or the nasal passage itself.
Every patient with sleep apnea and snoring deserves a thorough evaluation of the nose. Assessment for allergies, inflammation, polyps, as well as structural abnormalities, is important. If problems are identified and medical treatments are not successful, both in-office and outpatient surgeries may be done (often without the need for general anesthesia). For many patients who fail or poorly tolerate nasal CPAP, nasal treatments alone provide dramatic improvements in the ability to tolerate medical treatments such as CPAP.