Is Snoring Surgery Right for You? Exploring Options, Risks, and Alternatives

Chronic snoring can seriously impact your health and well-being, disrupting the sleep of both you and your bed partner. As per a report, more than 90 million Americans report snoring at one time or another, with 37 million adults snoring regularly. While changes in sleep habits and non-invasive treatments can help, if you snore regularly and it's impacting your daily life, snoring surgery can be the potential solution. But is surgery for snoring worth considering? The answer? It depends. 

• When Snoring Happens: Snoring happens when the air you breathe can’t move freely through your throat and nose. This makes the tissues in your airway shake, which causes that loud, vibrating sound. Sometimes, snoring is more than just noise. It can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). With OSA, the throat muscles relax too much and block your airway while you sleep, making you stop and start breathing.

According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, OSA is a common but serious medical condition that badly impacts sleep cycles and can result in intermittent hypoxia, sleep fragmentation, and excessive sleepiness during the daytime. Moreover, it is estimated that more than 936 million adults worldwide aged between 30 and 69 suffer from OSA.

• When Is Surgery an Option? Surgery can help with snoring, but it’s not the first step. Most doctors suggest trying other options first, like losing weight, using a CPAP machine, or wearing a mouthpiece that keeps your airway open. Surgery for snoring is usually considered only when these treatments don’t work.

So, before directly opting for surgery to stop snoring, it's important to learn more about the different types of snoring surgeries. 

Understanding Snoring Surgery 

Surgery can sometimes reduce snoring and treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). However, the snoring operation you require highly depends on what’s causing your airway blockage. 

Here are a few common snoring surgeries your healthcare provider might recommend. 

Types of Snoring Operations

• Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) is the most common surgery for sleep apnea. The procedure removes or restructures some of the throat's soft tissues. This rearrangement could include the soft palate, tonsils, or the uvula (the fleshy ball hanging in the back of the throat).

• Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) is a surgery that uses a laser to remove or reshape parts of the uvula or soft palate.

• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or Cold Ablation is a procedure that utilizes low-frequency radio waves to generate controlled heat. This heat shrinks and tightens tissues in areas of your tongue, nose, or soft palate. 

How Surgery for Snoring Works 

These are some of the best snoring operations followed worldwide to stop snoring and reduce the impact of OSA. But how exactly do these snoring procedures work? Here’s a breakdown of each type. 

How UPPP Surgery Works

Snorers tend to have constricted passageways, so when air moves past the throat tissues, they vibrate and rattle. This effect produces the sounds we know as snoring. By removing soft tissue in your throat, UPPP surgery widens your airway. It makes breathing easier, thus helping to eliminate snoring. 

How LAUP Surgery Works

LAUP surgery is more conservative than traditional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty because the tonsils remain in place. Patients usually report experiencing less pain during the procedure. The main goal of this snoring surgery is to shorten and reshape the palate and uvula, clearing the airway. 

How RFA Surgery Works

RFA is minimally invasive as compared to the other two and usually takes five to eight treatment sessions that take around 20- 45 minutes. This treatment aims to prevent the base of the tongue from obstructing the airway and create more space to breathe. 

How Successful Is Snoring Surgery and What Complications Might Occur?

Evaluating the impact of the snoring operation requires careful consideration of both proven success and potential risks for the patients.

Success Rates of Snoring Surgery

Surgery to stop snoring helps many people reduce the impacts of OSA, but its effectiveness highly depends on the procedure. Let’s look at what the research says for each procedure.

1. Starting with UPPP, several studies show the surgery to be successful in the short-term, reducing or eliminating snoring in 75% to 95% of the patients. However, after 13 months, the success rate decreased to 46% of patients. 

2. Patients who underwent LAUP snoring surgery experienced similar results, with reports showing a success rate of 70% to 95% post-operation. However, limited data exist on this treatment's medium- to long-term results.

3. Talking about RFA, research shows that patients who underwent this surgery to stop snoring on their soft palate saw a significant decrease in snoring intensity immediately after the operation. However, in the long run, nearly all patients had a relapse in their snoring. 

Based on the studies above, research suggests that while snoring procedures effectively reduce snoring in the short term, they are not the most effective long-term treatment. 

What are The Potential Risks and Complications of Snoring Surgery? 

While complications are rare, snoring surgery risks may carry certain risks, including the following: 

• Pain and soreness

• Bleeding

• Infection

• Ongoing discomfort, like feeling as if something is stuck in your throat

• Problems swallowing

• Difficulty eating

• Sore or dry throat

• Changes in voice

• Injury to teeth, tongue, and lips

• Breathing trouble

More intricate snoring surgeries like UPPP also require undergoing anaesthesia and staying in a hospital for the night, which can also be a drawback for snorers. 

How to Prepare for Snoring Surgery? 

Speaking with a healthcare professional is the first step in deciding if snoring surgery is right for you. Your doctor may ask questions and perform evaluations to see if you're a good candidate. Depending on your condition, they may also recommend sleep studies or imaging. 

Here are some standard criteria your doctor may look at to determine if you’re a good candidate for a snoring operation: 

• The severity and frequency of your snoring and whether it's considerably impacting the quality of your life or your sleep partner's.

• If you have any structural abnormalities or anatomical conditions, such as an enlarged tongue or tonsil.

• If other snoring and sleep apnea treatments, like mouthpieces and positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, have failed or you haven't been able to tolerate them well. 

• Monitoring your overall health and whether you have any pre-existing conditions that might not be safe for undergoing surgery or anesthesia.

What to Expect Before, During, and After Surgery?

The exact outcome of your snoring surgery will depend on your individual circumstances. Here's a general overview of what to expect: 

Pre-Operative Preparations

As mentioned above, your doctor may run a few assessments, like blood tests, imaging, etc., to ensure you're in good health for the surgery. They'll also discuss the procedure's potential risks and benefits and suggest alternative treatments. During the days before the surgery, your doctor may also recommend not taking any medication, stopping smoking, drinking soothing beverages for your throat, and getting plenty of rest. 

Most surgeries to stop snoring require anesthesia, so you'll likely be unconscious during the procedure. The duration and what to expect during the surgery will depend on the type of surgery you'll be undergoing. After your treatment plan is set, your doctor will guide you through what will happen on surgery day.

Postoperative Care and Recovery 

After the surgery, you'll likely spend some time in a recovery room. If you've undergone anesthesia, the healthcare professionals will monitor your vital signs as you wake up. Depending on the type of surgery for snoring you have undergone, you may have to spend the night in the hospital. Before you leave, you'll be given a schedule for follow-up appointments. 

Recovery and Post-Surgery Care 

Following the right post-surgery care tips can help make your recovery as smooth and comfortable as possible.

Tips for a Smooth Recovery 

It's common to experience some pain and discomfort after your surgery. Your doctor will likely prescribe pain management measures such as medications to help you during this period. Follow your doctor’s instructions and take prescribed pain medications as needed. Some of the best advised tips by doctors include: 

• Rest and limit activity: Avoid strenuous activities and give your body time to heal.
  
  

• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water to support recovery.
  
  

• Follow a gentle diet: Eat soft, non-irritating foods. Avoid spicy, hot, and acidic foods that may cause discomfort.
  
  

• Follow your doctor’s guidelines: Adhere to all post-surgery instructions to ensure proper healing.

Long-Term Care and Lifestyle Adjustments 

Ongoing care is essential to maximize your surgery's effectiveness and prevent snoring from recurring. 

• First, make sure to adhere to all of your doctor's postoperative instructions.

• Attending your follow-up appointments is crucial to monitoring your progress and quickly addressing any concerns arising after surgery.

• Your doctor may also recommend specific lifestyle changes, such as regularly exercising, eating a particular diet, changing your sleeping position, or managing your stress. 

Are there any Alternatives to Surgery? 

Yes! If you don't want to go for surgery to stop snoring, here are some of the alternatives you can choose: 

Non-Surgical Treatments for Snoring

If you’re not quite ready to go under the knife, there are other effective alternatives to surgery for snoring. Here are a few common non-surgical treatment options. 

• Anti-snoring pillows: Changing your sleeping position is one of the most effective and easiest ways to relieve snoring without surgery. Research shows that sleeping on your back can cause your tongue to block your airways. Anti-snoring pillows, like MedCline’s Sleep Solutions, support proper spine alignment and keep you comfortably in the doctor-recommended side position for snoring. MedCline’s medically backed design elevates your head, neck, and shoulders so your airways stay open while you sleep. 

• CPAP therapy: This non-surgical treatment is the gold standard for treating snoring caused by OSA. As the name suggested, this treatment involves using a CPAP machine that provides constant air pressure to your throat to keep your airways free. 

• Oral appliance therapy: For snorers with OSA who don’t tolerate CPAP therapy well, a mouth guard can help move the jaw forward or keep your tongue from blocking your passageways while you sleep.

Lifestyle Changes and Home Remedies 

Lifestyle changes and healthy habits can also provide natural snoring relief without snoring operation. For instance, maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise can help prevent or reduce snoring. When you have extra weight around your neck, it can block your upper airways when you lie down. Getting outside to exercise can also help your circadian rhythm. 

Establishing good sleep habits like a regular sleep-wake schedule can help support your circadian rhythm. This produces a deeper, less disrupted sleep. Other healthy sleep habits include swapping out your screens for a calming activity like reading at least an hour before bed. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is there surgery to stop snoring? 

Yes! Surgeries like uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty, and radiofrequency ablation can help reduce or stop snoring in the short term. However, research suggests that they’re not an effective long-term treatment for snoring. 

Will tonsil removal stop snoring? 

Maybe yes, in some instances, because removing an enlarged tonsil that blocks your airway through a tonsillectomy can help some adults find relief from snoring. However, research shows having your tonsils removed as a child doesn’t reduce the likelihood of becoming a snorer as an adult. 

What are the downsides of sleep apnea surgery? 

Some of the downsides of sleep apnea surgery include potential complications like bleeding and infection. It's also a more invasive treatment, as it requires that you undergo anesthesia. Studies also show that it may not be the most effective long-term solution, as the snoring intensity and frequency tend to return over time. 

What is the most successful snoring surgery? 

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty have high short-term success rates, with up to 95% of patients experiencing snoring relief post-surgery. 

How can I stop snoring naturally? 

Using an anti-snore pillow and sleeping on your side is one of the easiest ways to stop snoring naturally. Healthy lifestyle changes like good sleep hygiene, exercise, and a nutritious diet can also help stop snoring. 

Conclusion

While snoring surgery can help some sleepers find relief, it’s often a last-resort option, but it may not offer long-term benefits. Before undergoing invasive treatments, discuss non-surgical solutions to address your snoring with your healthcare provider.

At MedCline, we help you find a non-invasive solution for snoring. Our pillows are backed by science and offer a safe treatment option to address poor sleeping patterns and reduce snoring. Made with adjustable memory foam stuffing, our medically proven sleep wedges provide full-body support to align your spine and elevate your upper body, keeping your airways open. Unlike other snoring pillows, our sleep solutions include a patented arm pocket that keeps you comfortably on your side while alleviating any pressure on your shoulders.

For more information about how our snoring solutions can help with childhood snoring, head to our MedCline FAQs or reach out to our team of Sleep Specialists today!