4 Successful Surgical Methods That Help Stop Snoring
When all other methods have failed to help stop snoring, resorting to surgery maybe the only choice left to the snorer. This is especially true when snoring is particularly severe and persistent. Here, in this article you will find exhaustive information about various types of surgical methods implemented to treat snoring, along with their respective pros and cons.
#1 Laser Therapy:
In this method, the soft tissues that generate the snoring sound are trimmed down using laser rays. Pros and Cons:85 % of the patients report successful cure of their snoring with this procedure. But the process is quite painful and may also be accompanied by other side effects like bleeding through the nose, altered tone of the voice, debility of the muscles of the naso-pharyngeal area (which causes ingested food and liquids to return back through the nose). 15 % of the patients can suffer from snoring even after going through all these troubles, and getting the laser therapy done.
#2 Somnoplasty:
Another surgical option to help stop snoring is Somnoplasty. This method uses low power radio frequency rays as a replacement for laser rays. Here there is no trimming or cutting away of any tissue. The fundamental approach applied here is to utilize radio frequency waves to accomplish stiffening of uvula and soft palate.
Pros and Cons of Somnoplasty:
This is an OPD process and does not call for any overnight admission in the hospital; but it takes almost 6-8 weeks for complete recovery. When compared to the laser therapy, Somnoplasty appears to be less painful, but it is not entirely trouble free and will necessitate repeated visits to the surgeon.
#3 Injection Snoreplasty:
The modus operandi used in Injection Snoreplasty is almost similar to radio wave treatment in Somnoplasty, as it involves creating trauma to the internal soft tissues like uvula and soft palate. But in Snoreplasty, the agent used to inflict trauma is a chemical sclerosing compound called as Sotradecol. Repeated infliction of such trauma leads to scar formation and eventual hardening of the soft tissues and thus they are prevented from flapping any more and thus stop snoring.
Pros and Cons of Snoreplasty:This is also an Out patient procedure and can be executed during a routine consultation with Otolaryngologist. The cons are almost similar to Snoreplasty, and require numerous visits to the surgeon; once in every 6-8 weeks.
#4 Pillar procedure:
This is a comparatively advanced surgical method to treat snoring and involves the creation of artificial pillars within the nasal cavity. The basic function of any pillar is to offer support, and that is precisely what the artificial pillar implants offer to the soft palate. There are 3 pillar implants that are fixed within the nasal cavity and each one of them is around 18 mm in length.
Pros and Cons of Pillar procedure:
The best part about this method is that it is absolutely painless and trouble free. But the flip side is that it can only help stop snoring that is due to weakness of the soft tissues and offers no improvement in snoring due to other causes.
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