|
The procedure is expensive and may be precluded by health
insurers and not offered by national health bodies. Often,
the tissue will grow back and another procedure is required
to remove the new growth, so the solution is sometimes not
permanent.
There is a high risk of post-operative infection setting in
and some patients have been left with speech defects as a
result of this surgery. The procedure has been shown
statistically to have a higher than average risk of both
surgical and post-operative hemorrhaging.
Some patients who have undergone this procedure have
reported post operative problems with swallowing. Although
this is still a procedure used to treat sleep apnea it has
not always been proven to be successful in curing this
condition. |
|
Laser Assisted Uvuloplasty
This procedure, as its name suggests, makes
use of lasers to remove the uvula and any tissue causing an
obstruction to the airway, without affecting the tonsils or
other lateral tissue.
It has an unpredictable success rate and patients who have
undergone this procedure have reported post operative
changes in their voice – this obviously makes it an
unsuitable procedure for anyone who uses their voice to earn
their living.
Other reported unwanted side effects of this procedure are a
dry mouth and ear pain
Cautery Assisted Palatal Stiffening
In this surgical procedure the palate is
deliberately burned or cauterized, often by laser, in order
to stiffen it to prevent vibration. The uvula and mucosa are
often also removed. This is reported to be the most painful
of all of the surgical procedures with a lengthy recovery
period.
The procedure is still deemed to be in the early stages of
development and is therefore unproven as a successful
treatment to treat snoring. It is expensive and it is
difficult to predict a positive outcome.
