Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty for the treatment of snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of the laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty (LAUP) procedure on snoring and Apnea-Hypopnea-Index (AHI) improvement in patients with snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).


METHODS
Prospective, nonrandomized, nonblinded assessment of outcomes after LAUP in patients suffering from benign habitual snoring and/or mild OSAS.


METHODS
Fifty-nine patients with habitual snoring and 25 patients with mild OSAS underwent LAUP (6 of them underwent simultaneous classic tonsillectomy and 20 carbon-dioxide laser tonsillotomy). All patients and their bed partners completed pre- and post-treatment questionnaires ranking snoring, whereas the patients with mild OSAS underwent postoperative polysomnography (PSG).


RESULTS
During a 6-month to 5-year follow-up (mean 40 months), 91.5% of the patients with habitual snoring reported significant short-term improvement based on post-treatment questionnaires, whereas 79.7% reported long-term subjective improvement. Nineteen of 25 patients (76%) with mild OSAS reported significant improvement of snoring based on posttreatment questionnaires. According to the postoperative PSG, only 2% showed a worse AHI, whereas 60% showed reduction of the AHI to < or = 5. Eight patients (32%) showed little or no improvement of AHI.


CONCLUSIONS
LAUP, in combination with carbon-dioxide laser tonsillotomy in some cases, is a safe, cost-effective, outpatient procedure for the treatment of many cases of habitual snoring and mild OSAS when preceded by careful selection of the candidates.
Kyrmizakis
Dionysios E
DE
ENT Department, University Hospital, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Chimona
Theognosia S
TS
Papadakis
Chariton E
CE
Bizakis
John G
JG
Velegrakis
George A
GA
Schiza
Sofia
S
Siafakas
Nikolaos M
NM
Helidonis
Emmanuel S
ES
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010159:Palate / Q000601:surgery*; D017286:Polysomnography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000601:surgery*; D012913:Snoring / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014609:Uvula / Q000601:surgery*