Laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty: long-term results with a treatment for snoring.

We present a retrospective analysis of the initial results of our institution's evaluation of a new procedure designed to help relieve snoring, as well as having the potential to assist in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. The ambulatory, in-office CO2 laser procedure is performed with a local anesthetic. It is a serial procedure that achieves the same end-result as conventional uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, but without many of the associated problems. The indications for the procedure are reviewed, and detailed technical aspects of its performance, including use of new instrumentation, are discussed. Detailed analysis of the first 20 patients to undergo the procedure in the United States is presented. This is the first series of patients presented in the American literature who have undergone this procedure and who have had long-term follow-up of more than five years. A 90% success rate was achieved. The complication rate, patient tolerance, relative costs, indications and contraindications are discussed.