Surgery Options to Reduce Snoring
Have you ever startled yourself with your own snoring? That can be an annoying experience. But that is not even the most common reason people pursue help with their snoring. The number one reason is complaints from their partner.
No one really wants to go through a medical procedure. But if you, or your partner, are concerned about your snoring, it is good to know that surgery can help.
What Are the Types of Surgery for Snoring?
Several different surgeries can help with snoring. Some specifically treat snoring, while some treat another condition that results in relief from snoring as a pleasant side effect.
Here is a list of a few surgical options to reduce snoring.
- Glossectomy- This is surgery to remove all or part of your tongue. It is most often used to treat tongue cancer. In some cases, a glossectomy procedure can treat severe obstructive sleep apnea and an enlarged tongue.
- Pillar Implant- With a pillar implant procedure, the surgeon will insert several small pillars into your soft palate, the back of the roof of your mouth. These pillars are intended to keep your soft palate from collapsing and creating airway obstruction.
Often this is a temporary solution, and it is not always effective.
- Somnoplasty- Somnoplasty is a procedure designed to treat obstructions in our air passageways. It uses low-power radiofrequency energy to gently reduce the size of tissues in your mouth and nose.
Radiofrequency energy is delivered beneath the surface layer, or mucosa, of the nasal or oral passageway. The treated tissue is heated just enough to harmlessly constrict it, helping expand the passageway and relieve the obstruction.
- Tonsillectomy- Removing the tonsils can be extremely helpful in reducing snoring for people with large tonsils. This is also one of the most successful surgeries in treating children with snoring and sleep apnea. For children, recovery is usually quick and easy.
The recovery time for an adult tonsillectomy can be more difficult. You should plan to take two or three weeks to recover if you and your health provider choose the tonsillectomy approach for your snoring surgery.
- Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP)- This surgery first removes the tonsils if they have not already been removed. Several small incisions are then introduced into the soft palate. When the surgeon sutures these incisions, they actually tighten your palate, making it less likely to interfere with airflow.
A UPPP can be extremely helpful for you if you experience snoring because of loose tissue in the soft palate.
The most difficult part of this procedure is not the procedure itself. The recovery can be painful, and an overnight hospital stay for pain management is often required.
What are the Expectations After Snoring Surgery?
The prognosis after these surgeries is excellent, based on the fact that there is a good match between you and the right procedure.
It is important to identify the root cause of your snoring, so be sure to talk to your doctor about whether any of these snoring surgeries might be the right fit for you.
Related Article: Do Dental Appliances Work for Snoring?