Titanium Snoreplasty- A New Surgical Technique

INTRODUCTION: Based on the previous data, among the general population aged between 30 and 60 years, snoring is observed in 44% and 28% of males and females, respectively. Therefore, it is important to treat snoring to reduce the disruption of the bed partner's sleep and the patients’ own problems. This study aimed to present a minimally invasive procedure which is easy to perform with less tissue damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 13 patients suffering from primary snoring with soft palate length of 2.5cm or more. All of the patients were examined and their partners were asked to fill-out the relevant questionnaires at baselines, 90 days, 6 months and 1 year after the surgery in order to assess snoring. A crescent strip of oral mucosa along with the underlying muscle were removed under general anesthesia followed by the insertion of a piece of oval-shaped titanium mesh. Moreover, two subjective methods were employed to assess the snoring of all patients. RESULTS: 11 patients were male, and the mean age and the mean body mass index of the patients were 48.69 years and 28.34 kg/m(2), respectively. The scores obtained from the Visual Analog Scale for snoring loudness before surgery reduced from 7.63 to 3.54, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). None of the patients experienced major complications after surgery; however, there was a partial extrusion of the implant in one case which was managed conservatively with spontaneous healing. CONCLUSIONS: Titanium snoreplasty was successful in the reduction of snoring in this study. This method is a single-stage treatment for simple snoring with the multiple effects of palatal shortening, space increasing, and palatal stiffening.