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Chronic snoring can seriously impact your health and well-being, disrupting the sleep of both you and your bed partner—but is snoring surgery a treatment option worth considering? The answer? It depends.
Snoring happens when your airways are blocked, leading to a vibrating sound as you push air through your passageway. Snoring is also often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is a sleep disorder in which the tissues in the back of your throat block your airway during sleep. Surgery for snoring may help you find relief, but it’s usually recommended when all other treatments haven’t worked out.
Read on to learn more about the different types of snoring surgeries. We'll cover everything from risks to recovery and effective alternatives. Here's everything you need to know about finding snoring relief.
Surgery can sometimes reduce snoring and treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Here are a few common surgeries your healthcare provider might recommend.
But how exactly do these snoring procedures work to cure snoring? Here’s a breakdown of each type.
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.
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 surgery is to shorten and reshape the palate and uvula, clearing the airway.
Considered minimally invasive, RFA usually takes five to eight treatment sessions that last less than 45 minutes. This treatment aims to prevent the base of the tongue from obstructing the airway and create more space to breathe.
But is surgery effective for snoring? Let’s look at what the research says for each procedure.
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 participants. However, after 13 months, the success rate decreased to 46% of patients.
Patients who underwent LAUP surgery experienced similar results, with reports showing a success rate of 70% to 95% post-operation. However, limited data exists on this treatment's medium- to long-term results.
Following a similar trend, research shows that patients who underwent RFA surgery on their soft palate saw a significant decrease in snoring intensity immediately after the operation. But 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.
While complications are rare, potential surgical risks for snoring include the following:
More intricate snoring surgeries like UPPP also require undergoing anesthesia and staying in a hospital for the night, which can also be a drawback for snorers.
Speaking with a healthcare professional is the first step in deciding if snoring surgery is right for you. Your doctor will 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 snoring surgery:
While your circumstances will determine the specific details of what will happen with your snoring surgery, here's a general overview of what to expect:
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. In the days leading up to your 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 for snoring require anesthesia, so you'll likely be unconscious during the procedure. The duration and what to expect during the surgery will depend on what type you'll be undergoing. Your doctor can give you the play-by-play for surgery day once you determine your treatment.
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 what type of snoring surgery you've done, you may have to spend the night in the hospital. Before you leave, you'll be given a schedule for follow-up appointments.
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. They should also give you guidelines for recovery from snoring surgery, such as restricting your activity and getting plenty of rest. They may also recommend getting plenty of hydration and a post-surgery diet of soft and non-irritating foods, staying away from spicy, hot, and acidic options.
Ongoing care is essential to maximize your surgery's effectiveness and prevent snoring from reoccurring. 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.
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.
Lifestyle changes and healthy habits can also provide natural snoring relief without surgery. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty have high short-term success rates, with up to 95% of patients experiencing snoring relief post-surgery.
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.
While snoring surgery has helped some sleepers find relief, it’s often a last-resort option that doesn’t have the best long-term benefits. Before undergoing invasive treatments, discuss non-surgical solutions to address your snoring with your healthcare provider.
At MedCline, we’re invested in helping 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 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!
"Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)." Standford Medicine, stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-treatments/p/palate-surgery/types/uppp.html.
Viswanatha, B., and Arlen D. Meyers. "Uvulopalatoplasty." Medscape, 2 Sept. 2023, emedicine.medscape.com/article/2051863-overview.
"Sleep Apnea Surgery, Snoring Surgery: Types."Duke Health, 3 Nov. 2023,www.dukehealth.org/treatments/sleep-disorders/sleep-apnea-surgery-types.
Levin, B C, and G D Becker. “Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for Snoring: Long-term results.”The Laryngoscope, 1994; 104(9).https://doi.org/10.1288/00005537-199409000-00017.
Berger G, Finkelstein Y, Stein G, Ophir D. “Laser-Assisted Uvulopalatoplasty for Snoring: Medium- to Long-term Subjective and Objective Analysis.” Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2001;127(4):412–417.https://doi.org/10.1001/archotol.127.4.412.
De Kermadec, H. et. al. “Radiofrequency of the Soft Palate for Sleep-Disordered Breathing: A 6-Year Follow-Up Study.European Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Diseases, 2014,131(1), 27-31.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anorl.2013.04.005.
Robin, I. G. “Snoring.”Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, 1948, 41(3), 151-153.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2184387/.
Tzifa, K T et al. “The Relation Between Tonsillectomy and Snoring.”Clinical Otolaryngology and Allied Sciences, 1998, 23(2), 148-51.https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2273.1998.00113.x.
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