Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty versus laser-assisted uvulopalatopharyngoplasty in the treatment of snoring.

OBJECTIVE

This study was performed to compare the efficacy, pain, and complication rates between laser-assisted uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and conventional tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty.

METHOD: Eighty patients who had undergone the laser procedure and 29 the conventional procedure were studied prospectively. Snoring was measured using a new numeric snoring scale.

RESULTS

There were no statistically significant differences between groups for final snoring scores, pain, or complication rates. The criteria for selecting uvulopalatopharyngoplasty candidates, which is described, resulted in a 97% success rate in the treatment of snoring.

CONCLUSION

Laser-assisted uvulopalatopharyngoplasty and conventional tonsillectomy and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty are equally effective in the management of snoring in correctly selected patients. They are similarly painful procedures. A new and simple numeric snoring scale is described.