Snoring surgery: a retrospective review.
OBJECTIVE
To undertake a retrospective, questionnaire review of surgery for heavy snoring, to ascertain patients' perception of the procedure and its effect on their snoring.


METHODS
A specifically designed postal questionnaire was sent to 261 patients who underwent snoring surgery at University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK, between April 1993 and March 2000. One hundred ninety-three patients responded (73.9%), including 151 men and 42 women. Mean age was 49.0 years (range, 24-74 yrs).


RESULTS
Twenty-two patients had a uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, 53 a traditional laser palatoplasty and uvulectomy, and 118 an uvulopalatal elevation palatoplasty. There was a 26% patient-reported postoperative infection rate. Morbidity regarding postoperative swallowing, pharyngeal sensation or voice change appeared minimal. Seventy-six percent scored postoperative pain as "moderate" or "severe," irrespective of the operation performed (P = 0.989). Thirty-seven percent of patients perceived an improvement in postoperative sleep quality. Twenty-four percent of patients reported no improvement in snoring after surgery. Forty-three percent reported an initial improvement that was not sustained for 2 years, whereas 34% of patients benefited from an improvement sustained for longer than 2 years, irrespective of the operation performed (P = 0.143). Only 47%, with hindsight, would have undergone surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
These data highlight that snoring surgery has a high postoperative morbidity rate and a high failure rate. Research endeavors should be directed to the development of a strategy which enables reliable preoperative identification of patients' who enjoy sustained benefit postoperatively.
Jones
T M
TM
Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital Aintree, Liverpool, UK.
Earis
J E
JE
Calverley
P M A
PM
De
S
S
Swift
A C
AC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010614:Pharynx / Q000601:surgery*; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D012913:Snoring / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome