title: Electrocautery versus carbon dioxide laser for uvulopalatoplasty in the treatment of snoring.
abstract: Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty is a popular method for reducing snoring. Drawbacks are the large initial expense of the laser unit and related equipment and required safety precautions. The equipment required for electrocautery for cautery-assisted uvulopalatoplasty is significantly less expensive to obtain and operate compared with the carbon dioxide laser. Ninety-eight patients were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups to undergo uvulopalatoplasty: one performed with the carbon dioxide laser and the other with electrocautery. We compared postoperative pain, time off work, efficacy, and the number of treatments required to achieve a satisfactory result. We found no statistically significant difference in any of these parameters between the two treatment groups (P > 0.05). Our data show that the use of the carbon dioxide laser offers no advantage over electrocautery in performing uvulopalatoplasty to treat snoring.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Naval Hospital, Pensacola, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gnuechtel
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Keyser
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Greinwald
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Postma
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004564:Electrocoagulation / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D012913:Snoring / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014609:Uvula / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide