Stop Snoring Surgery - Is it Really Necessary to Cure Snoring?

If you are considering surgery to stop snoring, chances are you are suffering from severe snoring or sleep apnea. It might be already affecting your relationship with your partner and you are experiencing excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue that it is affecting both your health and social conditions. There are several procedures developed by medical experts that are supposedly meant to treat the harsh snoring problem and sleep apnea.


Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP), also known as Palatopharyngoplasty is a surgical procedure wherein the doctor takes out the tonsils and parts of the uvula and the soft palate. The goal is to enlarge the throat by removing some tissues in the area. When this happens, there is ample room for airflow and breathing becomes clearer thereby preventing the production of the vibrating and disrupting sound known as snoring.


When laser is applied in the similar procedure, it is called Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty or LAUP. It is done under local anesthetic and uses laser to shorten the uvula and vaporize parts of the palate. Another procedure called Cautery-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (CAUP) uses cautery equipment instead of laser. It uses heated wire or electrode is used to remove all or part of the uvula. There are also evasive procedures that works by stiffening the tissues in the throat and soft palate such as Somnoplasty and Coblation.


Undergoing stop snoring surgery is a highly personal decision and there are always risks and complications involved. You should subject yourself into it only after the specialist's advice. Once the doctor, the otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) has done a thorough medical evaluation most specifically your upper respiratory tract and had an overnight sleep study to measure the degree of severity. Also, if you think that you have tried every treatment possible, including lifestyle changes and noninvasive approaches like over the counter anti-snoring products and CPAPs and nothing works for you.


The best thing for you is to do your research to find out how effective these surgical procedures are. If snoring continues to disrupt your life and your health, it is best to consult a physician and see what your available options are.