4 Things to Know About Snoring Surgery

When snoring and sleep apnea get out of control, they can cause serious health issues. If it’s gotten to a point where your snoring is debilitating, you may be considering a snoring surgery to help matters. Commonly called somnoplasty, this is a surgical procedure performed by an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor for the relief of snoring. Heat energy is used to modify the soft palate and mouth tissues. The procedure is performed with local anesthetic and doesn’t require an in-patient hospital stay. So, if you’re considering this procedure, what do you need to know?

It only takes 30 minutes

If you’re fearing a complex surgery with a hospital stay, then you don’t have to worry. Somnoplasty is a relatively quick and fairly simple operation. It uses very low levels of radiofrequency heat to either remove or stiffen up the tissue of the soft palate and uvula. This very controlled procedure helps to shrink tissue volume, which reduces the audible symptoms of snoring and the risk of sleep apnea. The whole procedure is very quick – you will be given some local anesthetic first, and the whole thing generally takes around half an hour, so you’ll be done before you know it.

You may have to make some temporary changes

Although the surgery is fairly simple, there are some minor changes you may have to make following your treatment. You should not take any aspirin, or products containing it, for ten days following – and if you need to take any other medication, consult an ENT doctor or pharmacist first. And if you smoke, you will need to cut down or plan to stop entirely following your surgery to avoid irritating the tissue and stop coughing or any potential bleeding.

It’s a fairly simple procedure

You may feel unsure about what to expect. The first step on the day after a quick consultation is that you will be given an oral anesthetic spray to provide some initial numbness, followed by a series of small injections to the roof of the mouth. This is not uncomfortable because of the spray. You will remain awake and in an upright position during the procedure. Your doctor should walk you through the procedure and the equipment that will be used. The main device is called a Somnos Gun and is connected to a radiofrequency generator that will be put into your mouth. A small electrode is attached to your soft palate, and this heats and reshapes the tissue. This should not cause you any pain.

It might make snoring worse to begin with

One unexpected development that a lot of people may be surprised by is that snoring may initially get worse. This is because the tissues are swollen up from the procedure. Once this swelling has subsided, which usually takes one or two weeks, then you will see a gradual improvement which may continue for several months. You will usually be able to drive home after the procedure. There is some simple aftercare, including keeping your head elevated on a two to three pillows when you sleep to minimize the risk of swelling or edema. In a couple of weeks, you’ll be back to normal and better than ever.