4 FAQs About Snoring Surgery

Though the term might sound strange, snoring surgery is incredibly common and helps heavy snorers all around the world deal with the troublesome condition. In most cases, snoring is caused when something obstructs the flow of air in the passages at the back of your mouth and nose. The area at the back of your mouth and nose is a collapsible part of the airway where your tongue and upper throat connect with the uvula and soft palate. When these structures touch each other and vibrate, that’s what causes the snoring noise to happen.

In this article, we’ll be touching on four frequently asked questions that cover snoring surgery. This is to give you a better understanding of what snoring surgery is, but also to help you identify if you need to have the procedure or not.

Do I need snoring surgery?

Heavy snorers usually suffer from certain underlying conditions. For instance, having a high BMI means that excess fat is stored at the back of your throat. This blocks your airways and increases the chance of your soft palate vibrating, causing that annoying snoring sound. Fat buildup inside of the throat can be mitigated with regular exercise and controlling your weight, so you may not need snoring surgery if this is the case.

When should I see my ENT about my snoring?

If lifestyle changes (including weight loss) seem to have no effect on your snoring, then it might be worth speaking to your ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist about snoring surgery. ENTs can help you diagnose your snoring problem. This may help you discover that you’re at risk of sleep apnea, a worrying condition that actually prevents you from breathing properly when you sleep. If your snoring is having a huge impact on your life and you feel that it’s difficult to breathe, then you may want to book an appointment with an ENT as soon as possible.

What procedures are available for heavy snorers?

There are several different types of snoring surgery available and the recommend procedure will depend on your condition. For instance, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (or UPPP for short) aims to remove excess tissue from the throat. This widens the airway so that they aren’t obstructed when you sleep. However, it has unpleasant side effects such as intense pain, infection and bleeding. Although these effects can be handled with the right care, it does scare patients away. Other procedures include the Pillar Procedure and Somnoplasty.

Will my snoring return after the surgery?

It’s difficult to determine the cause of your snoring without a full diagnosis. Even skilled ENTs will occasionally misdiagnose the problem and there is no guarantee of success. In fact, most people see success in treating their snoring by having a combination of several different snoring surgeries in addition to lowering their BMI to remove the fat deposits from the back of their throat.