UVULOPALATOPHARYNGOPLASTY (UPPP)
What is available today in the way of surgery is the uvulo-palato-pharyngoplasty (UPPP). What does this mean? The uvulo refers to the uvula, that fleshy thing hanging in the back of your throat, palato refers to the palate, and pharyngoplasty means plastic surgery of the pharynx (the pharynx is the joint opening of the gullet and the windpipe). The uvula is removed along with excess tissue. This surgery is usually done for patients who can't tolerate nasal CPAP. This surgery has mixed reviews, it helps in around 50% who have the surgery and in others it does not help at all or it helps only partially and the patient may still need to use the C-PAP machine due to scar tissue.
LASER ASSISTED UVULOPLASTY (LAUP)
There is also Laser Assisted Uvuloplasty (LAUP), is a surgical procedure to remove the uvula and surrounding tissue to open the airway behind the palate. This procedure has been used to relieve snoring. It has been used somewhat successfully in treating sleep apnea. Always make sure you have a doctor who has done the procedure many times and is preferrably extremely knowledgeable about sleep apnea. Ask lots of questions and do your homework!
RADIO FREQUENCY (RF) PROCEDURE OR SOMNOPLASTY
The newest surgical procedure for snoring and sleep apnea is called somnoplasty. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment for snoring that uses radio waves to shrink tissue in air passages and eliminate snoring. The procedure is called radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction of the palate.
A new treatment for sleep apnea, radiofrequency volumetric reduction of the tongue has been approved by the FDA.
The radiofrequency treatment involves piercing the tongue, throat or soft palate with a special needle (electrode) connected to a radio frequency generator. The inner tissue is then heated to 158 to 176 degrees, in a procedure that takes approximately half an hour. The inner tissues shrink, but the outer tissues, which may contain such things as taste buds, are left intact. Several treatments may be required.
Unfortunately, at this time the procedure is so new that insurance companies are not covering it yet. It is still seen as an experimental procedure.
If you are still interested in the procedure, call Stanford Facial Reconstructive Surgery at (650) 328-0511
