The Efficacy of Diode Laser Palatoplasty on Patients with Troublesome Snoring

INTRODUCTION: Simple Snoring is low frequency sound without obstructive sleep apnea, produced mainly from vibration of the upper airway wall in the soft palate; it can be bothersome and may causes social problems. So the aim of this study is an attempt for relieving simple snoring though, stiffening the soft palate via transoral diode laser palatoplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty six adult patients with socially troublesome snoring were recruited in this stuy. Adequately history was taken to rule out witnessed evidence of obstructive sleep apnea. Then full otolaryngological examination, with soft palate vibration grading assessment by Muller maneuver were followed, consequently the eligible patients were underwent transoral 810 nm diode laser palatoplasty under local anesthesia and followed-up 6 months post-operatively. RESULTS: The loudness of subjective snoring assessed by visual analogue score (VAS) was relieved from 6.6 to 2.4 and by Muller maneuver was improved from 2.7 to 1.9, and for the frequency from 2.1 Hz to 0.3 Hz, and from 2.4 Hz to 0.55 Hz for the duration pre to post-operative with P value of 0.75 to 0.023 respectively, So the overall frequencies of improvement of snoring loudness results had revealed a total improvement (no snoring) were detected in 4 patients, and moderate improvement had been found in 30 patients, while mild improvement of snoring had been seen in 10 patients, however about 2 patents got no benefit from the surgery. CONCLUSION: Stiffening of the soft palate by diode laser had shown to be significantly beneficial in relieving the snoring intensity as it had a positive impact on its subjective loudness, frequency and duration.