| If you wake up with bruises all over your body from | | | | procedure performed under general anesthesia and |
| your sleeping partner using you as a punching bag | | | | recovery time can be up to three weeks. Difficulty |
| during the night due to your incessant snoring, it | | | | swallowing during recovery will be a result of this |
| might be time to consider surgery to correct this | | | | procedure. It is effective to decrease snoring and it |
| problem. If you have tried behavioral techniques and | | | | cures 46-73% of all cases. With LAUP, the procedure |
| conservative therapies such as CPAP for eliminating | | | | involves using a laser to shorten the soft palate and |
| snoring and everything has failed, see your doctor | | | | cutting away of the uvula. The two to five |
| for advice on surgery options. Your insurance | | | | outpatient sessions required and administered four to |
| company may consider this an elective or cosmetic | | | | six weeks apart, each session lasting 30 minutes. |
| surgery. Surgery is a last resort and should only be | | | | LAUP is not recommended for apnea patients or light |
| used in the severest of cases or where serious | | | | snorers but can be used for loud, disruptive snorers. |
| health risks are involved, such as with sleep apnea. | | | | Mandibular maxillar advancement surgery: This |
| Surgery for snoring may be performed as an | | | | invasive procedure is recommended for patients with |
| outpatient procedure. In the surgical procedures | | | | craniofacial abnormalities and reserved for people |
| described below, you can get an idea of the options | | | | suffering from severe sleep apnea. The surgery |
| your ontolaryngologist (an ear, nose and throat | | | | corrects the anatomy of the throat or face that is |
| doctor) may recommend. | | | | causing the apnea. |
| Somnoplasty: also referred to as Radio Frequency | | | | Nasal surgery: A procedure for patients with a |
| Tissue Ablation (RFTA) A minimally invasive | | | | deviated septum or other obstructions in the nose |
| procedure performed under local anesthesia that uses | | | | that are causing the blockage of the airway. |
| radiofrequency energy in the form of a needle | | | | Genio-Glossus Advancement (GGA): the genioglossus |
| electrode that discharges energy to reduce the soft | | | | is the major tongue muscle that retracts, advances |
| tissue in the upper airway. After the procedure, the | | | | and depresses the tongue. This procedure opens the |
| body reabsorbs the tissue. This procedure often | | | | upper breathing passage through operating on the |
| requires more than one application. | | | | tongue. Used for treatment of obstructive sleep |
| Uyulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP): also can be | | | | apnea (OSA), it suspends the tongue to keep it from |
| performed as laser assisted uvuloplasty (LAUP). This | | | | falling into the back of the throat during sleep. A tiny |
| procedure can be performed on people with mild | | | | screw is inserted into the lower jawbone and |
| apnea. LAUP and UPPP removes the soft tissue in | | | | prevents this from occurring. This procedure is usually |
| the back of the throat and palate, widening the | | | | reversible. Additionally, tongue reduction surgery can |
| airway at the opening of the throat. UPPP corrects | | | | be performed to minimize the size of the base of |
| excess uvula tissue, enlarged tonsils or adenoids and | | | | tongue, opening the airway and eliminating snoring. |
| excess tissue in the larynx. This is an inpatient | | | | |